Tender

This world,

This life,

hardened my heart.

Once made of glass,

Now surrounded by stone.

I have to keep it from shattering,

More than it already has.

But then you burst in,

Throwing open the door.

And your tender touch,

Makes me shiver.

And your tender gaze,

Makes me pull closer.

And your tender love,

Breaks through the stone.

And your tender affection,

Repairs the fractures.

And you remind me,

It’s okay to be tender.

You can be tender and still bite.

As long as you love,

And don’t hate.