Is it the Pen or the Ink?

Some people sweep dirt under their rugs

Put skeletons in their closets

Smile to hide something dark in their souls

But what I most want to keep from world

Is my tenderness

Oh God forbid anyone finds out

It's still there

Under the scars and the chipped teeth

I can spit bullets

But don't look too deep in these yellow eyes

I walked through the fire

To make myself cast iron

But there's still something soft at my core

And it's growing

I'm gonna have to cancel my street cred account

Return my diploma from the school of hard knocks

Wipe off my war paint

Strip the patches off my jacket

Oh hell, just take the jacket too

Now I am naked, vulnerable

I've heard weakness is strength

But I am afraid

Take a deep breath, Anna

Go ahead and become liquid

Don't worry

Because sharp things cannot hurt water

They just slide right through

And it is the rivers that write history

In stones

Anna J Michener

April 27^th, 2011