Vulnerable....no more

For all I've been and known. For all that was then and is now. For what has passed and is present. For happiness and for sorrow. For the laughter and for the tears. For all the lost chances. For all the missed opportunties. For the pride that strikes in moments of weakness. And the nostalgia that prevails in moments of strength. For the extreme sadness that overcomes the soul to a point that words fail, and language falls short of sufficient expressions. For the hollowness that leaves you short of breath, heart beating too fast, palms sweating, eyes filling up with tears, face burning up, feet cold, and body shaking. For the physical pain that mimicks a hand clutching your heart and squeezing until you gasp out loud. For the clarity that comes in a flash. For the signs you ignore and the signs that register in your consiousness.
For all that I have lost and I have gained. And I have lost quite a few.
For the long nights that shadowed lonliness, and now mean solitude.
For the days that stretched endlessly, and still do.
For the subtle touch, and the ruthless thrust.
For the passion and the indifference.
For the friends and strangers that pass through your life. Some linger. Some walk away. Some come back. And some leave forever.
For the feelings that can't be told and the ones that can't be untold.
For the regrets.
For the guilt.
For the stubborn minds that attack their victims without mercy, without a second chance, without a last glance backwards.
For all that has been. For all that will be.
I am vulnerable......no more.