Big Iron Vat

A scripture asks...

Can a leopard change his spots?

Can an Ethiopian change his skin?

Two rhetorical questions

But can a sociopath change?

Can the abuser change?

Can a narcissist change?

Can the abused change?

I believe that yes, we can

But it isn't easy 

It's like cleaning a giant vat

Filled with molded stew

Broken hearts

Broken souls

Broken bodies

Decades of collection

The stew is toxic

The mold can kill

Do I wear goggles and a mask?

What about a hazmat suit?

Once shielded from toxic vapors

Light a fire under the vat

Hot enough to simmer the

Contents 

Stir and mindfully extract what I can

Pausing to honor each broken piece

That floats in the simmering

Collection

Once the stew has boiled down

Fire and iron having cooled

Climb inside and scrub

Mindful of that which once was

Despite the hazmat suit

Take in a deep breath

Climb out and sanitize the vat 

Preferably with sunlight

Once sanitized

Discard the protective garments

Breathe in fresh scents

Feel the warmth

Bow my head and honor what was

Knowing this is an ongoing project

Visit it regularly to

Acknowledge and let go

Before losses pile up 

Before the toxic mold sets in

Acknowledge the expansiveness of life

No longer confined to a vat