sometimes her mind races
and she can't slow down her thoughts
and it's overwhelming
even for her
so she may shut down
because there's safety in that
not letting anyone get too close
for fear they may
get cut on all her
broken pieces
she is stitched together
sometimes it feels like
coming unglued
but it doesn't hurt anymore
if she doesn't think about it
if she can just keep busy
if she can just find something
anything to believe in
mostly she blames herself
for being too soft
too emotional
and carrying too much love
because that in turn
can only complicate things
and it makes people uneasy
to be so wide open
so she paces herself
or she tries (mostly)
and reads other people
when really all she wanted
was to be real
not to be understood
but to be loved
even the darkest
dustiest parts
of her soul
sometimes just needed
a light