Naked Poem by Gary Scott Gebert

Here I stand, naked before you.
Stripped of all my armor,
revealing my battle scars for all to see.
Vulnerable to you, and all my enemies.

No strength to bear my shield,
which has protected me for so long.
Covering me as a closed door,
allowing no one to break through.

With an exposed heart you see me.
How insecure I am, shaking with apprehension.
My sickly skeletal limbs, dangle at my side,
no longer unable to repel the blows.

Through the slits in my helmet,
my eyes have seen the battleground.
The casualties of a silent war,
fall prey one by one, till none remain.

At my feet, a breastplate dented from combat,
pulverized as their arrows struck.
Leaving small indentations as an insignia,
divulging all that I bear.

A disappointment of a warrior,
not what you expected to witness.
The potent male without fear,
able to conquer all that looms over him.

But I stand unprotected, exposing the truth,
ready to admit defeat to you forever.
Yes, naked, to help all to see,
the ones who appear strong, are human too.