These Halls

These halls,
By definition filled with warmth and love.
A place of gathering, learning and sharing.
Surrounded by laughter and joy.

Lately as I travel through these halls,
A cold chill lingers in the air,
Clinging to the skin.
Only a hint of warmth can be felt,
Every once in a while,
A rare occurance.

Anger and frustration storm through these halls,
Everything within shaken and distraught.
Mentally, emotionally, physically damaged.

Crawling, on broken knees, in these halls
I search for the small evidence of care,
Desperately trying to protect them from
The swirling masses seeking to envelop and destroy.
All the while, struggling from succumbing
To the forces myself.

These seeds, so fragile in these halls.
Most often shatter and fade away.
Only one left.
A fight for its life,
Must succeed, must defend, must survive.