Splinter

I’ve grown hard over time

Protective bark covering me

A shield, a barrier

Between the pummeling winds

And my vulnerabilities

I’ve grown taller and stronger, yes,

But rigid, brittle

So that no one can touch me

Without getting a splinter

Give me a sapling heart again

Let me bend, supple and low

In those same winds as before

But now, dappled shadows welcome

Those who would draw near to me

And I become a soft place to land

Let the oak-knots unwind

From my neck and shoulders

As I relax and shed the toughened bark

Which prevented me from feeling anything