Hard is Unbreakable

You hold it all inside
because if anything were to leak out
it would be a break in the Hoover Dam,
a fire in the sky, an explosion of meteorites

as they reach land. You got it under
control. You keep it locked safely away,
a prisoner in solitary confinement,
who will never see the light of day. You must

control the thoughts. They have voices
and minds of their own. They must not
be released, and to others must never
be known. They are your secret

friends. They don’t take pity
on you. They are hardwired and
cruel. Once you were a chocolate cigar
left out in the sun. Once you were

a candy bar that the other children
spat on. You’ll never go back
to that place again. You’re hard. But
hard is unbreakable.