THE TWO WOLVES *

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Not long ago, me and granddaughter.

Gone was the snow, it couldn't be hotter.

She was lovely as could be, asked what I was thinking.

I sipped on my tea, lemon aide she was drinking.

"I feel in my heart, two wolves are a fightin'.

One is mean from the start, loves to hate and to frighten.

While the other's serene, and filled with love,

Never gets mean, like the angels above."

She asked me a question, as the sun set low: "Tell me, dear Granpa, who's going to win?

Please let me know, before you go. So when I grow old, will tell it again."

"My dear" said I, as I hugged her tight, "You will understand, 'though you can't read,

Who wins this fight, is the one I feed." - ccc 1/7/06

* I was inspired to write this poem for my granddaughter, who is part Native American. It is based on an old Cherokee story.

The poem simply means that within all of us there is a battle going on, between good and evil (the good wolf and the evil wolf).

If we feed our mind good thoughts, by reading good books, and seeing good movies and watching good television shows, we cultivate and feed the good wolf (God's spirit within us, which is the spirit of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, faith and all things good).

But if we feed our minds evil thoughts, by reading evil books, and seeing evil movies and television shows, we cultivate and feed the evil wolf (the evil spirit that wants to live within us, which is the spirit of anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, egotism and all things that are evil).

As long as we continually feed the good wolf, the good wolf will win, and we will enjoy happiness in this life and for all eternity in the next.

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