A TOUCH OF STEEL AND VELVET

I heard this odd expression just the other day,
Those things together didn’t seem right in any way,
A perfect oxymoron, or so it appeared to me,
It had me puzzled, then two thoughts came to me.

Steel is hard and strong, ridged and unbending,
Stands much stress, endurance seems never ending,
Cold and unyielding, relentless in its great force,
Very useful in life we know that fact of course.

But wrap it in velvet it can be made to seem warm,
Not cold and hard and unrelenting, can do no harm,
A kind of deception to make things seem unreal,
Hiding the truth when making a difficult kind of deal.

Yet having the strength that steel, when correctly made,
Is like a mighty armour, so you may never be afraid,
Then clothe that steel in velvet to add a soft touch,
Can build a character that would be loved much.

We all need to be as steel when temptation comes our way,
Then as subtle as velvet when we hear the truth one day,
Steel to battle the foemen, steel to stand for the right,
But velvet for the warmth and beauty of the light.

M Ann Margetson © June 17, 2001