Heart Her heart was open; willing to be loved, She walked through the gallery of things he had ever protected, She took note of the pain passed; resolved to protect his heart, She acknowledged the fire deep inside that never went out, She respected the source of his strength. His heart wasn’t a soft thing, He formed a fortress of iron-clad discipline; hidden quiet grief, even the corners of his spirit that had not been visited in years, overgrown with silence– revealed themselves to be seen in her light. Place She didn’t just visit; She began to inhabit the space, She rearranged the shadows; She brought light into the dusty corners of his resolve, realizing that being a Chief was a lonely burden, She entered his heart; offered the one thing his authority couldn’t provide: companionship. He didn’t pull away; He watched her more through his inner world with a strange sense of relief, the man who led everyone else had someone to follow, He had a partner to confide in, He had a team–blessed by favor. - E. Ex.