thorns

sometimes judgment obscures -
significant truths
plunge into battles of woes

thorny bushes scrape
foolish pride
who is right, wrong
mere projections
that hurt aimlessly
like hitting the bullseye
blindfolded
wreckage of pride senseless

all I acquire
are bragging rights
for precision

ultimately, the war is lost
though the skirmish won
alienation the price paid
for defensive darts flung
in efforts to be understood -
why do my words plummet
like an anchored ship?

barbed wire hands
cling to shredded hearts
mountains of baggage slip
expose valleys of vulnerability -
pick, pick, pick

sinkhole of thoughts swirl
questions, answers intertwine
pull me underneath
where I breathe mulch

alone again
I shake my weary head
submerged in confusion
I ask -
was it worth it?
was it worth it?