Back to Issue Eleven

"Golden Rule Revised" by Paul Hostovsky

Golden Rule Revised

I hate

the part of me

that hates.

It’s only

a part of me—

apart

from that part

I am loving

and kind—

but still,

it permeates

the whole.

I have tried

loving

that part of me,

but that backfired—

if you love

to hate

you will hate wholly.

No, the only

way to restrain

the part of you

that hates

is to hate it.

You must hate

yourself

as you would hate others.