Simply Poetry

Walls

When we were young, we didn't need walls.
We didn't need to protect ourselves from the darkest falls,
But as we grew older, the words of others
Confined us to compact hallways where
We could see the comings and goings of all, always.
The actions of one or two forced us to build wall anew,
And soon we were holed in rooms where we could control
All who would enter or loom.
But humanity failed us, me and you,
And our fourth wall went up too soon
To guard us like nothing before ever could.

You and I,
We were like armored tanks in a fight for a while,
But our walls shuddered and chipped every time we crashed into each other
Until we broke them down together, hoping it was forever.
It left us vulnerable because we had hidden away for so long,
Because our hearts were not prepared to deal with emotions so strong.
Because we'd spent too much of our lives strengthening our walls
We'd forgotten how to feed our souls, and so we were left open to attack.
Our fragile hearts, they splintered and cracked, shattered being beaten back.
But all the crashes we'd had couldn't fend off the relapse once we were alone again.
And now our walls stand erect.

There was a time my walls were pristine,
But now they are weathered and worn.
They have been built up and torn down and built up once more.
They let the light shine in every now and then if it shines just right,
But no army and no battalion will ever breach them
Because when they were mended, they were reinforced
By pieces from the walls of those I helped tear down before.
And while I am connected to those of the past
The connection is dead, faded grey, brick red, and flat.
It serves only to be cold and hard and block entry again
Even when crashing hard every so often.
As war times are when most advancements are made,
The wars I've fought have given me ways to create
The strongest defenses that won't fall away.