These castle walls have been built
by the tears and pain of my own heart.
Each stone carefully constructed
and sealed in layers of mortar
to make sure there are no breaches,
that no enemy reaches my inner domain,
no intruder is able to sneak and slip between the cracks.
I’ve built these walls strong enough
to withstand any firepower that’s thrown at it,
thick enough to keep out sun, rain, sleet, or snow,
thick enough to protect me from cold or heat.
Yes, nestled behind my walls,
I’m as safe as any man can be.
But what began as a savior years ago,
has become my sentence,
shackled like a prisoner in my own cell.
I may have successfully cut the world
off from me, but in doing so
I also cut me off from the world.
I’ve fortified these walls every day for years,
making them stronger and stronger.
And each year I find myself unmoved
by the world’s attack on me.
But there’s a loneliness growing inside,
knowing that the things I built this castle
to keep out are the things I most desperately need.
You can protect yourself from heartache.
You can close yourself to the possibility of pain.
But as long you’re still breathing, you can never
build walls high enough to keep yourself from being human.
There isn’t a cave dark enough or an ocean deep enough
to hide yourself from the thing that follows you
wherever you go – your heart.

Photo Credit: jacilluch via Compfight cc