{"sf1_id":1104791,"sf2_id":"P1EpYlAn","title":"Shield of the West","author":"zetasyanthis","words":391,"posted_at":"2016-12-12T02:02:00.000Z","tags":["Love","Pain","Poem"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1104791-shield-of-the-west","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/P1EpYlAn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/23/bf/23bf712e-beca-4fe9-9579-e39d8ce93727","description":"#8 of Poems\n\nThe latest in a series of activist poems, and a commitment to what must be done.","content":"Magics, magics, come to me.  \nCome and stop this dark.  \nYou are needed now, now \\*here\\*  \nto shield and heal the heart.  \n  \nCome and shimmer 'long bows of glass,  \nthrough deep stone entomb-ed vaults,  \ncome shimmer strong and shine with light,  \nand this darkness now halt.  \n  \nYou see my wounds, you see my blood,  \nyou see my heart ripped open,  \nand yet you see not where it seems  \nhope's light is still now woven.  \n  \nA knife may in my deep-heart be,  \nbut if you think that mortal,  \nyou know not what dragon you face,  \n\"I will heal,\" I chortle.  \n  \nNow, you who stood and you who saw  \nand you who still saw nothing  \nyou who did not care (did not know!),  \ncan you still tell me \"nothing?\".  \n  \nAnd you who did... you who chose dark  \nI extend hands towards you.  \nI seek the peace within your heart  \nthat you long sought to undo.  \n  \nI seek the cage within your chest,  \nthe bars that lock your heart.  \nI seek them now with scalpel sharp,  \nand I well know my art.  \n  \nThe pain of others you have seen,  \nand yet you have avoided,  \nthe pain that haunts their very eyes  \nwill not by you be voided.  \n  \nYou will now look. You will now see,  \nthe light behind that pain.  \nAnd pain you'll at last recognize,  \nto all our future gain.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;For empathy is stronger still  \nthan boundaries you construct.  \nThose borders, walls, and fortresses,  \nI will now make destruct.  \n  \nWith scalpel sharp, with shining blade,  \nwoven with hope's own light,  \nI'll plunge this deep into your heart  \nwhere you are locked in night.  \n  \nThat cage you built, that made you \"strong,\"  \nI will now see destroyed.  \nThis shimmering dark shadow-light,  \nreduces men to boys.  \n  \nBut I will not your heart now harm  \nthough you boundaries lay shattered,  \nI stem the bleeding, hold the light,  \nyour injuries... so tattered.  \n  \nI know not if you'll now survive,  \nnow that you can now see.  \nI only know that on future nights  \nI'll carry you with me.  \n  \nI raise my eyes to see yet more,  \nto see you standing 'fore me.  \nAnother mind, another heart  \nwounded at least, but now free.  \n  \nYou sought to harm, you sought to hide  \nyou sought to keep away  \nthe very thing that I now bring,  \nand it comes home to stay.  \n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Poems","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1078221-breaking-through.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1198868-zeta.json"}}