Dialogue between heart and gut

I met a man once, not so long ago,
who asked for help in a convincing manner,
so I did, and he came back a few times after,
yet a part of me did not trust him,
however,  I wanted to, so we would talk
about nothing really, until money came up.

Heart and gut can work together,
yet when in a pinch, the gut is usually right.

My heart said, well you may be wrong about him,
do not be unjust.

My gut said, he is draining you, you can feel it,
even before he arrives you feel depleted,
you need to listen to my counsel.

My gut won out and I let him know not to contact me again,
I could not help him anymore.
Though even if it was the right move, my heart still was unsure,

Yet,

I knew it was the right thing to do.

I got a letter from him about a month later,
he was in jail on drug charges, driving without a licensee,
and a parole violation.

He wrote asking for forgiveness,
saying that he was turning his life around,
and wanted to come and see me when he got out.

Again, heart and gut conferred, both adamant what to do,
however both agreed that when he got out,
he needs to stay away for a full year,
get sober, go to 12 step meetings
and build a circle of friends who will help him
and not enable.

Many who con, are just surviving,
not evil, or even cruel,
just in a cycle going ever downward,
I don’t want to be part of that whirlpool.

You know Lord it is not always easy to discern
just give me the desire to seek counsel,
to listen to both heart and gut,
and to seek always to do the most loving thing.

The most loving thing is often the hardest.