Fierce Vulnerability
Moving beyond rage towards something more fulfilling.
Photo by Kevin O’Connor on Unsplash
Inspired by the book Fierce Vulnerability by Kazu Haga, a must read for anyone wondering how we are going to sustain life on earth and enjoy living in the process.
“We will never get to liberation if we build movements that may be able to win short term gains on various issues but move us further away from each other on a relational level.” - Kazu Haga
When anger surges through my veins
looking for an outlet
desiring a target
what is my aim?
When I want to have an individual to blame
for all that is wrong in the world
and my mind yearns
for order and clear definitions between
right and wrong
what is the desired outcome?
Does my righteous indignation and rage
do anything to create the world
I dream of inhabiting?
When my grandchildren one day ask me
about the moment we currently reside within
will they be impressed by my beliefs?
Or, will they care to know about my actions
in the big and small moments?
Will they be compelled
by the preaching I did to the choir
or the quiet listening
I did in the presence of those I disagree with?
When the polarization of society feels primed
to snap humanity
into multiple s p e c i e s
is it more effective to shout
at the other end of the spectrum
from a distance
or turn around
and be surprised
to see them standing within arms reach
laughing at the ways our differences
have bent us into a circle?
When the mind shouts urgency
and the body shouts rest
who do I listen to?
When all hope is lost to my rational mind
and my spirit knows that we are in the birth canal
of something magnificent
who do I trust?
When the world appears to be
an unfit place for raising children
how does the laughter of my son
propel me into bravery?
When I lay my head on the pillow
at the end of the day
and attempt to surrender to sleep
how do I let go of all the threads, all the stories
that prevent me from waking up tomorrow
in a state
of fierce vulnerability?
Powerful as ever xo