Blue Skies

I can feel it
That invisible armor
Clinking into place
Beneath my skin.
And as much as I abhor it,
I feel the final piece attach,
And there's no denying it-
I've become the animal
That so many have feared
Or detested.
And though I walk straighter,
There's a limp in my heartbeat,
As I remember
This is the side of me
That no one loves,
But it's the side of me
That keeps me alive.