Poem: Take Off Your Armor

Rita - 1953 - with older sisters

Take Off Your Armor 

 We are born vulnerable,

reliant on others to hold us

feed us,

hug us,

love us,

helpless in every way,

needing others

for our very survival,

 we learn to walk,

talk,

read, write,

cry, sigh,

ask why,

discern truth,

laugh,

get hurt,

always moving, moving

 toward

independence,

at last,

but wait,

not so fast,

remain vulnerable,
no need to go it alone,

it is after all

the heart of who we are,

 when did it become a weakness

 to need others,

to express longings?

numbing our emotions,

we trudge forward

with our armor on,

our shield up,

we deflect intruding

connections,

going it alone,

I say

give it up,

put down the shield,

take off your armor,

embrace your vulnerability,

expose your heart,

accept the truth of

your humanity,

It's there in each of us

waiting to be set free,

at last,

put down your shield,
take off your armor,
I promise you'll be okay.