Syllabus

I deny nothing—                
  which fills me                  
with experience:                  
                 
Love, hate, jealousy                
 greed, gluttony, lust—                
murderous thoughts;                
 suicide, shame, surrender                
                 
I welcome those that come                
 offer tea, also time;                  
realize I'm learning—                
 so heed their syllabus                
                 
Sometimes it took weeks                
 other times months—                  
even years passed                
  before the feeling dissipated                 
                 
But, when I finally learnt                
  discipline and control                
recognized something for what it was              
  and let go— it departed               
  giving room to the next                 
                 
Emotion follows thought      
and visits every human being                  
  born on this earth                
                 
Emotions are teachers that appear      
  from the vibration of thought—                  
  they are not students                  
  enrolled in our templed flesh;            
they teach, then move on            
  unless held captive              
  at which stage they accumulate    
  until stagnant within us         
                 
Prevent no mastery                  
  entering the gateway                  
of your heart, but learn  
  to recognize it for what it is             
  then let it come and go—              
freely flowing through as water              
  without stopping once              
                 
How else can we differentiate                  
  the contrast of choice;                  
or overcome fear                
 and doubt                  
                 
It's what we're here for;                
 all of us                
       
My father once said,        
"Knowing is half the battle"        
       
It truly is.        
~