The thing with evil
was it didn’t show up
overtly and say, “I want to harm
you or worse.”
It showed up in response to
a vulnerable, traumatized part
of Self that held
a longing for protection
and safety.
It said, “I will protect you.”
This is not to say there weren’t
other forces of light
that truly offered
true healing or that good and truth
didn’t prevail in the end.
Still, it snuck in
and worked slowly and gained trust
as a protector.
It showed up in me as
anorexia, which we know
doesn’t ever end well without
extreme measures of intervention
and clearly didn’t have
my best interests in mind.
But I found it takes
many forms.