beware the edition you buy into

beware(bəˈwer) the edition(əˈdiSH(ə)n) you buy into

The Story

By Henry H. Walker

consider the story as the creator(krēˈādər) of our power
our ability to weave(wēv) abstract(abˈstrakt, ˈabˌstrakt) possibility from the concrete(ˈkänˌkrēt, ˌkänˈkrēt) moment,
the emerging(əˈmərj) coherence(ˌkōˈhirəns) of the story unlocks a power
to imagine(iˈmajən) who we are as true to larger, surer(SHo͝or) characters,
true to self and plot, our actions have meaning
for we act within the story,
sometimes we find a right way,
sometimes we should despair(dəˈsper)
when the story we let into us reeks(rēk) of wrongness,

our stories brought us our gods,
yet Loki(ˈlōkē) came along with Jesus(ˈjēzəs),
Hitler(ˈhitlər) and Trump(trəmp) with Washington and King,

every step forward allows at least an equal(ˈēkwəl) movement back,

our species(ˈspēsēz, ˈspēSHēz) learned how to multiply(ˈməltəplē,ˈməltəˌplī)
and rise(rīz) to the top of the food chain(CHān),
but our species also resists(rəˈzist) learning the wisdom and love
that should curb(kərb) our inner Narcissus(närˈsisəs),

our stories make us who we are,
and we should be careful as to which edition we buy into.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/06/p.html