Dear youth,

You have thought that to be strong you must,

Thicken your skin;
For there is no tool to penetrate a concrete exterior,

Sharpen your tongue;
For there is no enemy to best an attack superior,

Harden your mind;
For there is no weapon to damage an armored interior,

Deepen your heart;
For there is no person to adventure a place so inferior,

But that is not learning to be strong,
That is hiding.

You will learn that to truely be strong you must,

Have skin like a river;
To allow life to grow below a surface that floats away harm,

Have a tounge like a rose;
To show beauty to those that are gentle and protect with the ***** of a thorn,

Have a mind like a door;
To open for safety and change yet shut against fear,

Have a heart like stained glass;
To encourage colorful light to shine through but withstand the darkness,

I may not be strong yet,
But I am no longer hiding.