Love; what truly is love?
Is it when you want to have them solely for their body?
Nay; for that is lust, not love.

True love; what can truly define it?
Is it how much money someone has?
Nay; for that is greed, not love.

True love is not found in material possessions.
Rather, true love is found from within the person
Beneath their skin
Beneath any emotional armor they put forth
Once you crack their armor, and they willingly choose let you in, that is love
When the two of you can speak kindly, gently, and without reserve, all out in the open with nothing to hide

Love is when there are boundaries that have already been set and bound and aren't broken
Love isn't when one of the two wields a blade of steel, a sword of words, or a dagger of ultimatums against the other
That isn't love; for that is betrayal

My favorite thing to do is to pick and scratch at my insecurities
Beauty is pain
It breaks your body
And shatters your insides
I keep discovering new things about myself I hate
Trying to erase the problems
But I’m not able to paint over the entire canvas
I leave little lines
Pencil marks
Bent corners
Scars
Breaking the layer of protective skin
through the armor
And under my smile
My one man army struggling to keep up with the war
Not being able to find any new soldiers that want to stay and protect the piece of forgotten land that I am
I’m so large yet I’m still not placed on the map

We lower our masks over our faces,
Put on our armor,
and get into our places.

You start with a playful jab
But it ****** more than you know.
I raise my weapon in defense,
You take a couple of steps back.
I think the match is done
Until you come swinging
Because you need to know that you've won.

If only you could take your mask off
when we're not sparring;
Maybe then we wouldn't need to fight.

You will be safe as long as I'm here with you
You don't really need me, it's true
But I'm here
I'm not what you expect in a knight
I'm not charming
I'm not super strong
I'm not even that brave
My armor is old and rusty
My sword is broken
I don't even have a horse
But for you, I will fight
For you, I would die
For you, there is nothing I wouldn't do

Impervious.
The defense of age.
Our hearts become small.
We’re loathe to engage.
We put up a wall.

Impervious.
In an armored suit.
Seeking protection.
To be resolute.
Avoid connection.

Impervious.
To one more heartbreak.
We like to think so.
But that’s our mistake.
Our hurt makes us grow.

Impervious.
I have tried to be.
It was just pretense.
For your love found me.
It pierced my defense.

Impervious.
Was never a thing.
I was closed off to
Almost everything—
Everything but you.