You think I’m guarded, wrapped in steel
But I’m just trying not to feel
Too much light can leave a burn
So I flinch at every turn
But under the layers, I still ache
Behind the velvet, I still break
This soft armor keeps me sane
Keeps your words from leaving stains
I smile like it doesn’t sting
But silence pulls at everything
You only see the calm I fake
Never the pieces I can’t remake
This soft armor—it's all I wear
To act like I don’t care
cool breath, straight spine, I don’t flinch
but the warmth in me folds inch by inch
your nearness cracks the quiet code
one word, and it might all explode