The comely, fragrant rose The comely, fragrant rose is defended by thorns. The comely, fragrant rose is nourished by manure. Thorns and manure have their rightful places. Like the much-maligned ego, they have their jobs to do. Let us notice when these tools of survival exceed their natural roles, lest the thorns be a render of flesh, the manure a reeking nuisance, and ego the great maker of human mischief and perpetrator of human misery! Thorns untouched rend not. Manure applied with care reeks not. Ego clearly observed harms not. |