Walls of Stone

Stones from each wound, each lie, each betrayal, and each secret I kept to protect others

worn smooth over time.

the walls are the dam holding back the tears

the barrier dulling the ever-present voices of judgment

the walls protect me from attack and treachery

I like my walls; you could say I built these walls with love

a lifetime frivolously bestowing love unconditionally; seeing the beauty, denying the hurt

so little returned so much spurned

The stones have fitted themselves together over the years

Making patterns and images I can follow with my fingers

Wedged against the tides of insincerity and shallowness of the world

Oh, there are gates, but they have become fewer with each lie and careless dismissal of my heart and being

These walls have become my strength and my boundaries

These walls are not a prison to me, it is my garden

Where I grow and nourish my soul and learn to see the love that lies within me as a rare thing of beauty in an ugly world.