some women are broken, not ready to be healed

Some women survive 

by creating walls, 

big walls guarding their hearts 

and you say 

"let them in" 

but 

she has been covered in regrets, 

crawled on all fours for her salvation. 

Don't curse them 

for when her attacker came 

there she was, loving, now 

she has built her walls 

brick by brick 

guarding against parasites 

Don't blame her 

Some women are broken, 

not ready to be healed, 

some women are broken 

not ready for love 

and that's all right. 

Let her find herself 

Let her become her own sun 

Let her

 

[Ijeoma Umebinyuo, 'Survive', from Questions for Ada]