one would have to be kind to suffice.
but those who are scarred by mockery
cannot pay that price.

strange,
wouldn't a wounded man protect his family
from the forces that once struck his soul?
that left scars for
the lonesome man he has become?

curious,
both the foolish and the wise
trace the lines of their scars with knives
to cut them on others, themselves,
into fresh, unbroken skin.

the blood pouring on the metal
a mere symbol of what lies within.