fragile or not

on the outside I'm a diamond 

my edges cut through glass

I am up for challenges

rally to each task 

I make my own decisions 

and stand by every one 

I shoot quick from the hip 

my aim again right on 

inside I am soft, 

as fragile as a pearl 

lustrous I shine--

delicate underneath

I won't let much get close 

they see the charade too late 

perfect  am not...

nor never claimed to be

I don't mean to maim others 

and won't let them maim me

if I can't make things better

then I will let them be 

I say this from the first, 

as slowly it begins 

you are one of the few, 

that I'm letting in 

Poetry by M.J.B. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License