Healing the Future, Facing the Past (traditions)

"I want to believe that the past is done with us the moment we are done with it."

we each have demons
living inside,
leaving us the decision:
to hide,
or conquer them,
or allow them to
consume us,
seduce us
to become monsters;
pathogens,
to pass them onto
those around us
with our words,
our actions,
our examples,
our cowardice,
our rage,
our weakness,
our pain...

breeding fresh demons
into our children,
our lovers,
our friends,
our brothers,
our sisters...

our victims.

creating the next generation
to make the same decision
again and again
and again.

traditions create legacies
of war and hate
until we face
the dark
and decide;
to breed
love and peace
and move forward

and leave the demons behind.