Poem corner!

FLAWLESS

They strut when they walk,
Macho and aggressive,
Looking confident and arrogant,
Wearing their swaggers,
As a form of self protection.

A self protection that says to the world,
Keep away from me,
Don't mess with me,
Or I'll hurt you,
When all the time,
It's really them who are afraid.

They bowl around,
With exaggerated machismo,
Looking like they fear no one,
When deep down they are terrified.

They walk toughly,
And punctuate their mannerisms with aggression,
But it's no more than a facade,
A self preservation warning,
That they would fight,
Rather than die.

They wear their aggression,
Like armour,
An armour formed from the roots
Of tough and disturbing childhoods,
An armour constructed,
From growing up in tough places.

An armour formed from loveless environments,
Uncaring parents,
Violent parents,
Abusing parents.

An armour like shell,
That covers the deep soft centres
Of true love and beauty,
Hard coal like exteriors,
That cover rich diamond centres.

Only love can chip away,
The crude dirty coal like surfaces,
And free the diamonds,
And only love can make them,
Raw priceless treasures,
And only love's nurturing,
Can polish and make these diamonds,
Pure, clean and flawless.

By a friend of mine,
Paul Warwick

Taken from his third collection of poems.