By D. R. DiFrancesco

Emotions so fragile,

Pushed to the forefront,

Exposed like raw nerves.

Twisted to fit the mold,

Irrational to the point of ridiculous,

Impossible to live without.

In apathy we stifle them,

Turning cold and hard,

Void of feelings toward the outside world.

In love they are laid bare,

Naked to the beholder,

Shatterable as crystal in the hands of a child.

In anger they are irrational,

Fierce and hateful in their rage,

Destructive as fire when unrestrained.

In joy there is peace,

Freely gifted to those accepting,

Shared willingly without precondition or pretense.

In sadness there is affliction,

Crushing then strengthening our resolve,

Amplifying our vulnerabilities.

Unique in our humanness,

Thriving on more than instinct alone,

Alive in our emotions.