Hold to shield

 Disconnect, a huge disparity. It's almost comical how big the rift has become between beings made to supplement and complement each other. Is it not insane how it is becoming normal to isolate ourselves because we're paranoid. We have been fed fear by those unfortunate enough to get burned by the fire. An increasing emphasis on it's ugliness taking the spotlight away from its beauty. A primal urge that in its most potent and pure form culminates in the creation of life itself. Self-preservation and propagation are our natural urges but in a way the latter has began interfering with the former. So in a way our need to protect ourselves has gotten in the way.

We grew up with nothing. Learning to make the most of the little we got and make it last, make it enough. Its lack has never been trouble, at least from a superficial point of view. Most times it existed in the background, covered by the noise of the happiness our materialism created. Compensation came masked as a gift and we accepted it because we knew no better. After all it 'isn't' a necessity it's merely a convenience. Something you are reminded of when you need to hear or see it. Only when you were drowning and clutching, was it extended. Either that or it served as a sedative to soften blows we would otherwise see as outright malice.

We had to learn how to survive with our rations. Sometimes unable to see it because we were blinded by the curtains put up by what we saw on television. Other times we heard from our favorite artists how it was a front, a ploy to make you vulnerable and expose your weaknesses. A tool of extortion, if you weren't careful it would suck you dry and spit you cold. Some of us were unfortunate enough to see it backwards first hand and it only strengthened the notion that we had. We learned to fear and feign it, both for our benefit. You only pulled the card when you need it.

Then growth, and with growth new room. With new room came more capacity which allowed the sparks to fester into a flame. The proverbial cough that we could not hide. Suddenly you had to understand it was and how to provide it efficiently. The beholders seemingly know about it than we do. Our mirrors are angled differently so we had ironically views of the same thing. We were told it was unconditional and felt but it's providence was based off of our own and we had to show it to get any. That's what we understood. 

You never stop learning how to love but nobody can teach it to you