If You Call, I Will Answer

When does a normal man twist all known perceptions of what defines him and becomes evil? What inside him changes and causes him to rape, rob, murder . . . and enjoy it? That is the extreme end of a change, so the lesser evil man uses people, is careless with a woman's feelings, and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process of "enjoying" his life, what changes this type of man back?

The stone, once stoic,
flows red and molten.
Once calm and sedate,
it flows with a rage never seen.

How do we play games with each other, yet proclaim we want someone in our lives who doesn't play games? Do we enjoy the "cat and mouse" with those around us so much that we lost the ability to be straight forward with each other? Have we come to a point where we are so afraid to love that our hearts have become calloused and hard?

Flowing without care,
the water ran freely.
Once brisk and refreshing,
it now stands locked in azure ice.

Where do we go from here? How do we stop the man from becoming the cold, heartless man he has changed in to? How do we open the shell around our hearts, forgetting the pains of the past, and learning to love straight forwardly again? Can we reach the point of trusting people the way we should, being open without the risk of being taken advantage of?

Through the tree's,
the wind gusts unpredictable.
Once felt by everyone everywhere,
it now stands still and unmoving.

A young man likes a young woman, showing his feelings to her in ways that verge on subtle, but stand precariously close to obvious. The young woman, suffering from a heart shattered and broken, can't release from what society dictated to her and turns him away. Her heart remains encased in emotional stone and he changes ever so slightly. Time after time this occurs, the heart of the young woman solidifies and becomes resistant to being broken again. The mind of the young man develops its own callouses, changing him; hardening him against the feelings of others.

The flame once burned,
bright and cheery.
Once sustaining heat,
nothing but a wisp of smoke remains.

Going backward and reversing the flow of time, what would have happened if only two changes were made: The young man was straight forward and the young woman took a chance on him, knowing he isn't like the rest? Would things have gone differently? Would things have stayed the same? Caught in the same sad love story that has repeated throughout history time and time again, what can make even the briefest of flames burn bright?

Given time and patience,
the heart can survive breaking.
Given caring and tenderness,
the heart can be mended.

Where does the story of the young man and the young woman lead? Do they let what feelings between them blossom and grow or do they sink into the darkness of the forest? Only the two of them can decide what steps they take in the matters of heart and mind. They can choose to fall back into the darkness or challenge society and take the risk of caring once more.