Armadillo
A bullied runt accustomed to abuse
at the hands of cruel classmates,
He deflects attacks, protects his soft heart,
with the armor of “This is boring” and “I don’t care.”
There are no thickets, no brush piles
where he can take refuge.
He hides behind the hair that falls over his face,
inside the piping treble of his voice,
beneath the pile of unfinished work and low expectations.
He scurries away,
Scratching the surface of what life has for him.
I offer my hand, but with weak eyes
He only senses another threat to his survival,
Ducks his head lower,
collapses in along the midline
as though he could pull his left and right shoulders together
or curl into a protective ball.
by Jennifer Leung © 2011
Original blog post: “Armadillos“
Pages, Pens, and Perspectives 
Beautiful and touching, from the heart. Fantastic. Thanks.
Thank you, Mick. I worry my Armadillo is a child who will be left behind.
The hair that falls over his face. I met this boy this week and told him I loved his drawing. He drew another one just for me. Every little kind word can help. At least that is my hope.
Recognizing the fear behind apathy or defiance helps me know how to respond in a kind and supportive way. I believe it does make a very big difference for these children.