Stony Heart

Stony Heart

My heart’s like a stone

Hard and tough

In a river

Immune to love

It once was tender

Then was burnt

It hardened then

Like a rock, inert

This rock-hard stone

Carved by tears

Has sunk to the bottom

Dragged down by fears

I play at compassion

“I’m an open book”

But armored up

Protected for good

How I wish

I could soften now

To open up enough

to allow

Myself to be

Defenseless, and sway

On a tide of feelings

Swept away

But once again

My heart stays hard

Like a stone

Deep in the ground