I used to grab my mother's legs out of fear,
I was shy to the world without her near.
I would hide behind the fabric of her pants
& shut out the unknown in a concealed stance.
Friends with lovely soft, sweet faces
looked like threats in strange places.
These fears become heavier with the years,
they evolve to me leaving before there are tears,
leaving before it ends,
before the other comprehends
that I'm just scared.

.Laura Curren.