my heart feels soft,
delicate—
incapable of hardening to life.
I hear, “thicken your skin!”
and nonsense like that,
intending to further supplant
my feet.
but birds don’t burrow
and planes don’t stay grounded
so why
should my delicate heart
stay closed?
she gains strength
in opening
she gains knowledge
in welcoming.
she gains life
in loving, yes
loving
L.S. 2023
Photo was taken in my back yard. And the poem was the result of a “tiny poem prompt” by Beth Kempton, who provided the word, delicate.
laurie sliben, writer 