Some people hurt you badly enough that every stranger starts wearing their face. I know. I did the same. I learned to study every silence, Every change in someone's tone. Look for danger in a kindness, Keep one hand upon the door. If they smiled,I searched for motives. If they cared,I waited still. Thought suspicion made me stronger. Really,it just kept me ill. One person lied. One person used me. One person knew exactly where to cut. But somewhere in the wreckage I started thinking everyone would. Not everyone is them. Not every hand will let you fall. Not every open door is hiding Another reason to build walls. Keep your boundaries,keep your wisdom. You don't have to trust them all. But don't make strangers carry blame For wounds they never caused. I turned new faces into warnings, Read old endings into starts. Made good people prove their innocence Before they reached my heart. Some walked away,I called it evidence. Some stayed close,I doubted why. Funny how fear can find a reason No matter what stands in its sight. Protecting yourself is not the problem. You learned that for a reason. But protection becomes a prison When nobody gets a season. Not everyone is them. Not every voice will make you small. Not every honest conversation Ends with you against the wall. Keep your boundaries,keep your instincts. Let trust come slow if that's what works. But don't sentence someone new For somebody else's hurt. You don't owe anyone blind faith. You don't owe access to your life. You can watch,you can take your time, You can leave when something isn't right. Just remember: The person in front of you Wasn't there when you were broken. Give them the chance To be who they are. Not everyone is them. Some will listen,some will stay. Some will meet the real you gently Without asking you to change. Keep your boundaries,keep your wisdom. Let the past teach,not control. The world is bigger than the people Who once made you lose yourself. I still watch carefully. I still take my time. But I stopped making new people answer for old crimes.
