Tenderness

A sharp sting emerges, a heat blooms beneath,

a blister reveals where the world digs in deep.

From careless encounters, I feel every sheath,

my skin, now a canvas, from scars I can't keep.

Red against weathered flesh, the sharp bite of truth,

each pulse is a reminder, each breath feels so near.

Underneath the surface, I feel the uncouth,

a vulnerability sharp, laid out like a spear.

Yet tenderness lingers in moments like these,

a fragile reminder of life's fierce demand.

Though pain builds a wall, like a stiff, broken breeze,

there's beauty in battles, in the ways I withstand.