I feed him little bits of inspiration

but he coughs them up, like mice

and argues with me.

“I think, I have more social status now, and that’s why my sisters are hooking me up on dates,” he said.

I looked at him, the way Hitler’s mother, admired him at the podium.

“I don’t know if I want to date this beautiful black girl,” I said. “It could open-up Pandora’s Box.”

“I’ll date her,” he said.  The Monster looked at me, with eyes that couldn’t be satisfied.

He flexed his muscles in the mirror. Those sharp teeth of his, smiled.

We lifted weights together.

“How many reps did you do?” I asked.

“10.”

“Then, I’ll do 11.”

Not ordinarily competitive, the Master needed to keep a leash on his Monster, otherwise, it would mount every woman that moved, and brag about its conquests like Attila the Hun.

The Monster tested his Master, as all monsters do. “We’re going skiing together, and that girl that you like, maybe, I’ll let her give me a lesson.”

The Master looked at him, totally free from desire. He had mastered the Tao.

The Monster was getting agitated, angry, hopping around like a toad.

The Master, just watched him.

“I need to get a BMW. That way the girls will know I’m high value,” the Monster said.

The Master looked at him with full understanding. The Monster reminded him of his own neediness and insecurities. Perhaps, it’s impossible to shed the skin that makes us human.