THE ENTITY

It’s a weather 

that got inside 

one day 

long ago

when a door 

was left open.

It’s a wind unseen

that moves

about the house

gathering like a storm.

It is an unwelcome guest

that mysteriously takes up

residence within you,

your body,

your thoughts, 

in the voice

that keeps the lie alive

in your mind. 

The lie that says:

Trust me and only me.

I will keep you safe.

No one else can do what I will do for you.

This is our little secret.

You must never tell anyone about me.

It’s an energy 

that's eating all the time

and never gets full. 

It feeds on shame, 

fear and loathing.

It pretends to be you

but is not you.

The only way to out-weather 

this storm is to starve it—

with a climate of connection,

love, and trust.