Becoming: 89 Poems of My Love For Me

This collection of 89 poems by Barry Emanuel Zeve is an inspirational path to self-love. If you wish to integrate your head (thoughts), heart (feelings), penis (desires) and conscience (beliefs) you're going to need wisdom of the heart to do so, since man's mind cannot achieve this unity from within without the other dynamic forces within him. (Women can substitute their clitoris for penis to achieve similar results.) In so doing you'll learn how to turn your conscience into a soul that can enjoy GOD consciousness. That's not a religious exercise. It's a spiritual practice anyone can do on his own.

From The Introduction:

"It doesn't do you much good to read all about how much I love myself if you don't have a place to respond directly to thoughts and feelings that come up for you while reading these poems. Therefore I've left some space after each poem for you to respond or react in writing to what I've written, which will leave you with a record of your own process. I hope, over time, you'll reread these poems as well as your previous reactions to them. You might even consider buying this book once a year and create an annual record of your changes to the aspects of self-love presented in these poems. Over time this may give you more insight into your own process of achieving self-love.

It's common to compare ourselves to others instead of comparing ourselves to who we were the day before. I found that as I internalized the process of self-love I became less concerned with others' success and more interested in their process.

"By making this book of poems into a workbook for yourself you may reveal thoughts that change and feelings that are transformed that you'll then be able to weigh in your conscience as though on a scale to determine whether you're taking actions on your head and heart with soulful regard. In this way you'll witness that you're transcending yourself.

"If you think of your life as a well, then riding in the bucket down to the waterline will bring you to a deeper experience of who you're becoming. And as you look up at that white light where you came from you'll be able to return to the light each time you descend into self-love with new illumination and joy at the world around you that we all must share.

"Please consider the possibility that you've never been jealous of anyone else's body or envious of the love in their heart. What if it was always your inaccessibility to your own container and contents that has eluded you? What if jealousy and envy of others is an emotional reaction to an unconscious experience happening within?

"The tenth Commandment (not to covet) is an emotional prohibition against jealousy and envy. When you get past the last of the Ten you're ready to explore Jesus's additional Two. But you can't dismiss any of the others in your exuberance to love GOD and your neighbor as yourself. We live in a remarkable age when the gift of self-love is no longer looked at as weird or crazy. We now realize that we can't give what we don't yet possess.

"I wish you great success on your journey, and I hope your intimacy with yourself increases day-by-day."