ice cold in the absence of life

the most stoic amongst us are often the most easily overwhelmed by emotion. holding it in, pushing aside. aloof. take a balloon and fill it with water, tie it nice and tight. then take the skinniest pin, and poke. poke. poke. poke. a stoic person’s job is to hold that balloon, and keep it from leaking. on the surface they engage. but consider the time, energy, resources necessary to keep that balloon from exploding, water splashing over shoe and asphalt. drained. they are perpetually drained. now tell them it’s not water in the balloon, but acid. imagine the sting when even a drop leaks out onto their fingers, enough to singe off their prints. those who fear feeling fear life itself. somewhere along the line the price of living was made too high. so? fear. masked as indifference. ice cold in the absence of life. in the absence of love.