It was inside the breaking where
I sifted through the pieces of myself
to find the ones worth salvaging.
When I was finished, I was empty-
handed, walking away without myself,
holding only a promise that I would
start over from scratch and rebuild
myself into who I wanted to be.
All the pieces I left behind had the
fingerprints of someone else along
the edges and I only want to be from
my own making, not bits and pieces
of who someone else told me to be.
I am under construction;
to be continued… until I’m whole alone.
Stephanie Bennett-Henry
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It may be an odd twist that this brings to mind a story from the collection “101 Zen Stories”, titled “Temper”.
———
A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: “Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?”
“You have something very strange,” replied Bankei. “Let me see what you have.”
“Just now I cannot show it to you,” replied the other.
“When can you show it to me?” asked Bankei.
“It arises unexpectedly,” replied the student.
“Then,” concluded Bankei, “it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over.”
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Reblogged this on cabbagesandkings524 and commented:
Stephanie Bennett-Henry – creating new – leaving what was imposed
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