YOUR ARMOR OF THORNS
by Kari Ripley Fennell
I move like slow motion
amidst your chaos.
I carefully pick my way
over and around,
but never through.
I stumble over your obstacles
and you haunt me like a shadow
where I have fallen.
Yesterday, I watered your heart
encased in a thorny cactus,
and placed you on the sunny
windowsill of my love.
But today, I awoke simply tired,
and I forgot to put on my gloves.
I didn't remember you were waiting
to box like a heavy weight champion,
to beat down the comfort of love.
I took a glancing blow on my heartache
and found myself staring at the ceiling,
surrounded by my pain and your chaos.
So I slunk away to my bedroom
to nurse my aching soul,
and hope maybe tomorrow
while it is raining
you'll forget your fear of the sunlight
and come out of your armor of thorns.
