Sliver of Hope

Revenge, a Vicious Cycle

There is something about revenge
That makes it so attractive,
So seductive to many people
It sounds good at the moment;
That is, the very idea of getting even;
Actually, nobody really wants to get even;
They want to be uneven
By having dominance over the other,
For getting even is merely a compromise,
And most people hate compromises,
Rendering revenge a vicious cycle;
It's poisonous to spend
All that energy attacking someone,
That which pollutes your mind with fantasies
As your very ego takes over;
It's one thing to show people
That you won't let them tear you down,
But revenge is different;
It goes beyond standing up for yourself,
It goes beyond showing your individuality,
For you seek to return their wrongdoing;
It's a single-minded path,
Rarely does it end well,
And I only say rarely out of generosity,
For I would actually say never;
The best way to break the cycle is to let go;
So what if you haven't gotten even?
So what if you don't dominate your foe?
At least, you let go of your resentment,
A resentment that tore you apart,
Consumed you into such an obsession
You neglected everything in your life;
It's best that you move on happily;
It's true that they did you wrong,
But your decision to let it go
Will make you stronger,
Stronger than your foe in fact,
For it takes courage to forgive;
You will realize revenge impeded your happiness,
That you missed out on countless pleasures,
But you'll feel liberated,
And that's what truly matters.