Dear Self

You are not a fragile thing, but still—handle with care...

glass and grace both shatter under pressure, 

and even iron bends where the fire lingers too long.

Speak truth, but handle with care... 

your voice can cut like a blade or kiss like a breeze, 

a weapon and a whisper sharing the same tongue.

In love, in loss, handle with care...

a heart breaks open or breaks apart—

sometimes the difference is just the sound it makes.