Gird Up Your Heart Poem by Patti Masterman

Gird up your heart, or the past will come stab it,
Cover your wounds, or the memories will sting:
Be careful whatever you're seeing or hearing;
No telling what others the stray things may bring.

If you open your ears, you'll get burned for your efforts,
The notes of a song can assault with no hint,
And the pain is so blinding that nothing can soothe it;
On random bad luck all your hot tears get spent.

No one can live freely without fear of harming;
No thing in this world can live safely from danger:
When you've loved and then lost your heart's barest treasure,
You'll lock up what's left and then live as a stranger.