A great deal of anger
Is wisping about
It’s on the clouds and on the cables
And in the open sky

It’s even in the sunshine
Now blazing, now blinding
Now too far away
To ignite our smouldering resilience
Or thaw our frosty common sense

A great deal of anger
Is wisping about
Agitating restlessness
Stirring discontent
Decimating our power in the moment

What has it taken from you?
What of yourself have you surrendered to it?
And what has it emboldened you into?

Unless it move you to compassion
This anger gliding the globe
Then, dear friend, offer it no hospitality
Invite it not to tea
No matter how persistent its plea

For your heart and your mind and your bones
Are too gloried a habitat to shelter
A foe so powerful and cruel

A great deal of anger
Is wisping about
If it move you to compassion
Then
Let it linger a moment
And only if your wits remain the master

But how foolish, oh how foolish!
To hand anger the keys to your affections
And grant it free reign of your emotions because
“As churning milk produces butter
and punching a nose produces blood
so stirring up anger produces conflict”
(Proverbs 30:33)

And conflict within you
Is your whole world conflicted
But of course, you know!
Don’t you?

But I will be wrong, oh friend
If you tell me, ah tell me!
Of all the bridges you’ve built
Or all the dreams you’ve nurtured
And all the beauty you’ve created
With anger as your driver.

“Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!

Proverbs of king solomon

This is our charge, and the duty of every human being worthy of any honour. We must carry it out, if not for our love of truth and justice, then at least for decency’s sake. Lest we be found courting apathy.

But even even so….

“You’ll have a better outcome if, first you thoughtfully listen, carefully choose what to say and why, then reflect on and consider all angles of the situation, instead of rushing to get angry.

James the messenger, in “commonsense for living”

Essentially, riding on anger is like shooting oneself in the foot. It steals your strategy and your power to be most effective. I am by no means suggesting that we shouldn’t get fired up from time to time, show passion and purpose. On the contrary, strong emotion often moves people to action. But it is wise to set that anger aside when we get down to business aiming for the best outcome. Unless of course, you are splitting wood.

Admittedly, getting angry is much easier than deploying restraint, and therefore it often is the ready response. But isn’t that just the problem? That it is easier? Go challenge yourself. With the world so full of challenges at the moment, you will be in good company.