What did envy ever do for you?
Like washing wool in hot water,
it shrank your soul. Self-shrivel.
Same goes for excess pride,
the striding great inflater, which
turns you into a boastful blimp
bound to bust up on rocks.
Then there's greed, which morphs
your hands into grasping claws,
your mind into a maniacal mouse
in a maze, addicted to cheese.
Throw them out, reduce your
inventory of unlovely impulses.
You're the shopkeeper of your thoughts
and actions. Tidy up your shelves.
Hans Ostrom 2024
