To be angry

And defensive

Is to cut a moat

Set sail solo in a boat

Into the middle of a storm tossed ocean

To be angry at the world

Is to machine gun strife

Everyone alive

That is trying to help you

To be angry at the world

Is to take an axe

To the trees

Sit in the clearing

Alone

And wish

That everyone

Could see

Just how much you didn’t mean it

To be angry at the world is to blame

And blame is a canvas that splits

Trickling – instead of paint

Hate

spittle

And bile

No one stands in front and says

“What a pretty picture”

Blame is a separation

Anger holds the distance wide

And all the while

The human being suffers

Stuck deep inside

*A long time ago, we lived in town.

Next door was a big dog left on the chain constantly by its owner.

While the other dogs this fellow owned, were let off their chain – this one wasn’t.

I thought it grossly unfair but of course I didn’t say anything.

One week-end, I said I would look after the dogs while the owner was away.

Seeing animals on chains is distressing for me and I couldn’t wait to let this big dog go for a run.

I love dogs and have only come across two that couldn’t be reached by that love.

I was young

Naïve

I leant down talking the gentle nonsense that humans use when conversing with dogs

As I went to release his clip, he growled murderously at me, his whole (huge) body vibrating with anger and violence

I hastily withdrew my hand, fed him instead, checked his water and didn’t attempt again, to set him free

Anger does that – in animals or humans

So before you go thinking you can save someone caught up in the cycle of anger

Check that they actually want to get off the chain

Some don’t

They will just bite your fingers

Or worse

Anger is a step in the downward spiral – at this point, things may eventually turn around and begin to go upwards again, into the higher states of acceptance then love and gratitude etc

Or they spiral down into depression, apathy and misery

Either way

It’s an inside job

Bring the food

Fill the water dish

And wait for the storm to pass through

I was reading sadly on the week-end about the eldest daughter of Lisa Curry and Grant Kenny. She had died in hospital after a battle with alcohol and eating disorders.

This beautiful looking girl was only in her early 30’s

It is heartbreaking to watch someone we love stuck inside a cycle of anger or depression

Attempts at extraction from the outside leave crumpled bandaids and Panadol packets strewn along benches

Futile and never enough

People clip themselves to chains

We cannot set them free

Understand

Food

Water

Love

It’s all we have

In the end

People have to help themselves