"Arms"

I've known her for a while now,
This week we have a date.
I'm pitifully nervous,
But I can hardly wait.

We saw a funny movie,
Now we're walking through the park.
The night has been amazing,
And now it's getting dark.

We lie down on the grass
And look up at the sky.
The stars look so much brighter
With her right by my side.

We both sit up together
And I'm about to rise,
But she nestles into my shoulder.
That took me by surprise.

She'd always seemd so shy-
Sometimes even scared.
Now I take her in my arms
And gently stroke her hair.

"You make me feel at peace.
I just feel safe with you.
Could you walk me home tonight?"
What else could I do?

We spoke while walking, hand-in-hand.
I learned why shes so shy:
A crook had stabbed and robbed her mom.
She watched it; her mom died.

She said that had her dad been there,
Her mom would not be dead.
But I didn't see the request of me
Implied by what she said.

Seconds passed into minutes
And we made it to her door.
She seemed to hesitate,
So I held her a little more.

"Promise you'll protect me,"
She asked within my arms.
I promised in a whisper,
"I won't let you be harmed."

And then a few months later,
My lady was approached
By a man with greedy eyes.
No, not a man. A roach.

He told her what he wanted.
Disgusted, she said "No."
But then he grabbed her by the arm
And wouldn't let her go.

She called for me. I ran to her.
In seconds, I was there.
I saw the way he grasped her.
I felt my anger flare.

He saw me and, releasing her,
Walked toward me with a grin.
We met half way; he shoved me.
So I pushed back on him.

The next thing that was coming,
I knew, would be a punch.
I put my arms in front of me,
He paralleled my hunch.

He leaned into his swing,
I leaned right; he missed.
My right hand grabbed the extended wrist,
And stepping behind him, I gave it a TWIST!

My left fingers found a soft spot
on his shoulder and I squeezed,
Added the cruching of his hand,
And forced him to his knees.

Then to send the message home,
I leaned in close and roared.
And then I thought, "Where'd I learn this?
I've never seen it before."

I told him never to touch her
And tossed his back onto the ground.
As he rose and ran away,
I stood there and looked around.

She was in the crowd that had gathered
In a circle around the fight.
She looked afraid, her eyes stayed down.
She couldn't handle the sight.

Slowly I walked up to her;
She shied away from me.
She sniffled as tears ran from her eyes.
I wiped them off her cheeks.

I pulled her gently into me,
She calmed down in my arms.
And I repeated tenderly
My vow: "You won't be harmed."