Tender

Once, twice, thrice, she shudders

as the weight of voices

corpulent with braggadocio

pummel the foundations

of a world she thought was steady.

She slumps, shaking her head

as the laughter grows,

mocking delicate souls

so easily bothered

by what needs not touch them.

Her tears fall.

“All the better,” she says

to prime the whetstone at her feet

she uses to sharpen her sword,

which will not be sheathed

until justice is done.

Song Choice - Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire

This poem was inspired by the prompt given over at Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads, Looking Beyond the Obvious.