KNOCKS AND KNOCKBACKS

As far as I've been able to observe,
Bumps and bruises go with the territory
Of learning to stand on your own two feet
And walk.
Some of them hurt!

I've also watched
A young gorilla mother gently slapping her new-born babe,
And a group of elephant cows
Kicking a new-born between them.
Stimulating it to breathe in
The sweet air of a new existence.
Love sometimes challenges our cherished definitions
Of what it ought to look like.

On a very personal level,
I got a shock to find recently that,
When I was taken off the respirator,
My body did not begin to breathe independently
Until it got the adult equivalent
Of a sharp smack on the bum.
"Thank you, I needed that!".

In every transforming inner work
You're going to run foul of your ego;
It's going to get bruised,
And it hurts!
I know, I've got one also.
The problem is that our egos do not want transformation,
And they want to look good to themselves.
Our egos are trying to distract us from getting on with it.

Bumps and bruises are inevitable;
Your self-important ego
Demands that you to stop what you're doing
And look after It.
So you stop
To deal with
What's stopping you.
That's OK but, while you're off in your nursery,
Life is on "hold".

How long will you wait,
Distracted by a spoilt child,
Putting your growth on "Pause"?
When do you intend
To get on with what you came for?
Set a date and time.
Make a deal with your ego.
Until then, kiss your ego better.
Then, when the bell rings for the next round,
Get up and get it on.

As we learn to open up to experience,
Including this,
Life's assaults become loving, caring caresses,
Startling us into a new way of seeing
And a new Life.