When people come at us with fists
of insecurity and unbridled anger
our basic instinct is to meet them halfway
with similar unrestrained emotions.

But when we take the high road,
the one that is not easily walked upon,
the one that requires maturity
and several ounces of self control,

we find that it is possible to build
a titanium cage inside our chest
within which our fragile emotions
could be cocooned,
if only for brief periods of time,
away from the inevitable bruises
that form part of the mosaic of life.