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.