Phantom vs. Flesh

I glanced at myself upon a day,
As I am wont to do,
But this time, I noticed a seeping sore,
Which I had striven to ignore;
Having hoped that it would fade,
And that I would find a cure.

But it only grew as circumstance dictated,
And I knew that it would have to be drawn,
As poison is drawn from the bite of a snake.

It would be like vomiting,
Only a thousand times worse.

But I thought that I had no choice;
No choice but to bring it to the surface,
Like the earth beneath mountains grasped
Like a dirty rug, and rolled so that the
Very mountains shake, exposing the evil
That lies beneath.

But I was mortally afraid.
I was mortally afraid.
Such a cataclysmic upheaval could tear
My flesh apart.

But really, what choice do I have?
For what chance has phantom versus flesh?
What chance has phantom versus flesh?