Barriers

protective force ~ open heart

Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash

i had pages written of what not to do
religious writ of how to scan for deficiencies
warrior returning from battle
hypervigilance
nervous system circuits blown
fight or flight burns you down

dirt, sweat
blood painted on
scars
drawn maps into my skin
survivors heart
cordoned off
raw pain lashing out
anger my best defense
layers of armor
who needs more barriers
those that must bury themselves to survive

run the gauntlet
thrown into the arena
matched with my greatest champion
prove your worth
i am your spectator
you my sport
expose your weakness
i’m trained to see
through all your inconsistencies
twitch of your face
fear on display