the fortress surrounds you
tall and sturdy.
no entrance.
no exit.
except a little hole where
your arm extends out.
i reach out to you,
but each time i do,
your arm retreats back.
i keep trying.
one day, my fingers graze
yours, but you
don’t pull back. rather,
our fingers interlock.
the ground shakes,
and the fortress comes
falling
down.
your hand in mine
through the rumble. i pull
you into my embrace.
i have become your
new fortress.