Too many mouths to feed

It is not enough
To pet me
And tell me I'm pretty


Because I will not uncurl
Will not cease to brace for impact
Until I feel unexamined


You will have to wait
Casually observing
Until I forget you're there


My body makes its choices
More easily than my brain
Until I learn that I am safe


I will reveal small facets
Watch you react
Retreat if you probe further


My softest parts are not worn for any to see
They are buried more deeply
Than ground penetrating radar could detect


Because my village has been sacked
Burned
My culture erased


It is not enough
To tell me you're there
I have to see you standing resolute


I will not show you where hurt lives
Because I believe you'll add more
Already too many mouths to feed