WALLS

it seemed such a simple task at first,

erect a wall as if of stone

to slow- not even stop

the rushing flow of wars

dark fears,

something secure

to help me sleep at night.

and when i saw men broken

saw them die

i raised my wall a little higher

moved the heavy stone

of will

to make my wall stronger

when i took to drinking

and easy women

i said that i would stop

i built another wall

a wall against my weakness

and this was quite a wall

my soul toiled into exhaustion

to build that wall

when i sold cocaine

i had to build a wall

a shield against the pain of others

whose walls were all torn down

whose souls were laid out raw

stung by the cold winds of the world

there have been dark times

and i've done dark things

there are walls so high that

i don't know what's behind them

and then love-oh love,

not just any love

a love that stole in under darkness

to assault my heart

and burned down the landscape of my

soul with fire

a love that almost killed

so again i toiled

labored in the hot sun

stone by stone

to build walls to protect

what was left inside

and now i rest

i'm secure and safe

when the waters rise

no pain seeps in

i'm sheltered in the shade of my walls

it's quiet here

it's clean and dry

no one can get to me now

i'm surrounded by my walls.

copyright michael abelardo de la pena 2001