Frances Dyer's Page

THE WOLF WITHIN
An old Grandfather
said to his grandson,
who came to him with anger
at a friend
who had done him an injustice,
"Let me tell you a story.
I too, at times,
have felt a great hate
for those
that have taken so much,
with no sorrow for what they do.
But hate wears you down,
and does not hurt your enemy.
It is like taking poison
and
wishing your enemy would die.
"I have struggled
with these feelings
many times.
He continued, "It is as if
there are two wolves inside me;
one is good and does no harm.
He lives in harmony
with all around him
and
does not take offense
when no offense was intended.
He will only fight when
it is right to do so,
and in the right way.
But
the other wolf,
ah!
He is full of anger.
The littlest thing
will send him into a fit of temper.
He fights
everyone,
all the time,
for no reason.
He cannot think
because his anger
and
hate are so great.
It is helpless anger,
for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes it is hard
to live with these two wolves inside me,
for both of them
try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently
into his Grandfather's eyes
and asked,
"Which one wins,
Grandfather?"
The Grandfather smiled
and quietly said,
"The one I feed."