Bodhisattva Warrior

Warrior for peace,
said the renowned Teacher.
I couldn’t feature it.
All my brain could see was the war.
What is it in me,
this recoiling reaction?
I meditated more.
An insight arrived.

It’s because I’ve loved to fight.
It’s because as a child,
the boxing gloves gave me power.
It’s because the war inside
made me feel big,
and loud, because scaring people
protected me,
thrilled me too.

Aha, I’m adverse
to the warrior image
since I don’t care to see
my secret propensity,
my old addiction to power-over.
Now when the Teacher speaks
of the bodhisattva warrior,
I can smile with compassion at the child.

©Susa Silvermarie 2022