Even as the shell appears hard
And the warrior has taken a defensive stance
So there may be a softness
Hidden deep within
A softness in the center

All this surface living bakes us hard
And we easily forget
That softness is grace made human

We live in cynical times
Times of opinion as truth
And a kind of inner strength
Must be carried forth
To meet falseness and despicability

But we are soft at heart
And tenderness, kindness
Is our true strength
If it should wither and perish
We are doomed
And hope of a loving evolution
Must be abandoned

It is up to you and I
To be the carriers of softness
The trustees of tenderness
To carry all that is good
And all that is real
Into the world

There is no need for awakening
To make this so
Just a remembrance of what is true.

Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay