Armor

Forged to protect

Defend from threats

Moments of weakness

Shimmering support

 

Battled to destroy

Broken, beaten down

Can hardly get around

Plated liability

 

Struggled in silence

No amount of repairs

Halt internal despairs

Blinding visor

 

Studied in shadows

Foe seeking weakness?

Friend offering kindness?

Rusting trust

 

Tempted to retreat

Discard cracking pieces

Retire to silent hill

Shattered shield

 

Propped in display

Empty suit creaks

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Author’s Note: This is kind of based on the idea that everyone has erected some means of protecting themselves based on past experience, but some people go too far and their protection from threats becomes a liability. But no one else knows what’s going on inside, so it becomes difficult for such a person to connect to others and to overcome their personal challenges. While mostly this is meant as metaphor, I was recently at a museum and had a thought about while suits of armor and other artifacts that draw attention, there was a real person who once used those items, and we’ll never know what that person was truly thinking about their life.