Getting rid of your ego is like
trying to throw away a garbage can,
and what would you do
with no garbage can?
There would be no place to throw out
the dried-up glue bottle,
the shreds of paper, the meat wrappers,
the empty cans.
Oh, no, of course the cans go into
the recycle bins,
along with most of the mail, old cards,
newspapers.
If getting rid of the ego
is like trying to throw away
a garbage can,
then getting rid of the recycling bin
is akin to stopping life-long habits –
those habits that stick
like flies to honey,
wings beating fast for freedom.
But you know the habits
you want to throw away – the ones
that boomerang back to you:
blame, resentment, jealousy.
Envy creeps her way back to your door
every now and again. You hear her say,
“Oh, I wish I had that.”
And you try to shush and hush her,
feeble little waif she is.
All of them just want to be held,
loved for who they are and know
they have a warm place to rest.