Paper Shields

"The world will crush you up and spin you round and pick it's teeth with your bones," they paused, and I was still suffocating, nails biting into my paint stained thighs.

"But that doesn't mean it's not worth it."

I nodded and pretended that I understood. And maybe just for a minute, when the sun hit me right and the wind blew quietly, they weren't quite as batshit crazy as this whole idea;

Maybe I tried to understand.