I know

You come in and slither around the edges,
Snapping and snarling when the center approaches.

You lurk at the periphery,
blazing bright from time to time
Showing how set apart
how isolated you are.

I hate and love it both
because I am the same.

I know it.

You can't, though,
because you refuse to be approached
by any one or anything new.

You think all life lessons are the same
all outcomes predetermined to be bad

Guarding yourself from hurt,
you also protect yourself from love
and something surprisingly new.

From someone who knows.
I know it.

I have it.

Shall I wait for you to trust,
keep trying amidst the snarls?

Or find another willing to believe?