This poem is a personal expression of how I understood my anger.

This realization came at a time when I had almost destroyed all that mattered to me. What my spiritual teacher had warned me about was coming true—he had said that anger could destroy my world and had asked me to be mindful of it.

It was difficult at the beginning, until I accepted my anger as part of myself and stopped fighting it. I realized my reasons for getting angry, and over time, I was able watch it carefully, nipping it in the bud. I have learned that anger is a very normal emotion and my heart goes out to everyone who is labeled as “angry.” I wrote this poem hoping other people struggling with anger will also find the roots of their anger.

~

It comes from the unseen—

From the depths,

From the hidden.

Only the keen onlooker

Sees its threatening gait

Slithering up to attack.

Pain and sorrow ignite it,

Love fuels more hate in it,

It snuffs out wisdom

Like the rain does fire.

It snuffs out love

Like the wind does a flame,

Like a volcano it erupts

Blazing lava—leaving ash in its wake.

Nothing remains,

Nothing survives

The wrath of its fire.

It held me hostage

‘Til my teacher came and saved me

from destroying my world.

He taught me the art of fighting anger,

He said—

“From a watchful gaze

Emerges the weapon of mindfulness

That drives the blade

Through anger’s heart.”

Every attempt

To watch it failed

As hatred for it

in me blazed.

Defeated one day,

I gave up the fight

All of a sudden.

I realized

Anger was not my enemy,

But a wounded part of me.

With self-compassion

I gave it a home.

It poured its heart out,

I understood its pain

From that day on.

When I see it rising,

I open my heart

Allowing it to speak,

Respecting its needs,

I help it find peace.

 

~

Author: Aadi Anand

Image: Flickr/Marco FrontSoldier

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina