The Wall

In a land of dreams fulfilled, under skies so endlessly blue,  

Lived a man with all he wished, but to this truth, he had no clue.  

His heart, a fortress mighty, walls of stone, both thick and tall,  

Built from youth's harsh lessons, a barricade against all falls.

Trauma's shadow, long and dark, stretched across his sunlit days,  

Blinded by past pain and fear, he walked in a bewildered haze.  

Fortune, love, and joy abounded, yet he saw not their embrace,  

Guarded, cloaked in armor, he lost life's tender, loving race.

These walls, erected for protection, became his solemn, lonely cell,  

A self-made prison of isolation, a place where no other soul could dwell.  

In pursuit of safety, he lost the key, to open up, to truly be free,  

His heart, once vibrant, now a fortress, in a sea of tranquility.

Then came the day, a crack appeared, light piercing through the dark,  

A thought, a chance, to tear down these walls, to embark on a new arc.  

With hands that trembled, and breaths that heaved, he dismantled his fear,  

Brick by brick, the walls fell, exposing a heart sincere.

But as the dust settled, and he stepped out, vulnerable but bold,  

He found the world outside, quiet, empty, incredibly cold.  

The people, the places, the dreams he'd missed, by walls concealed,  

Were not there waiting, as he hoped, his fate seemingly sealed.

Yet, in this void, a lesson learned, a truth profoundly deep,  

That walls we build to shield our hearts, are the same that make us weep.  

For life, with all its pain and joy, requires us to feel, to see,  

That vulnerability, though a risk, is what sets our spirits free.

So here he stands, amidst the ruins of his once mighty, fearsome walls,  

Awakened to life's beauty, ready to catch him when he falls.  

Though the path may be lonely, and the journey long and steep,  

He walks forward, unguarded, his soul no longer asleep.