damaged

by Linda M. Crate

i confess i am the
girl that
always remembers
scars, stars,
and tissue paper wings
i always thought if i were a good
enough little girl
that my daddy would come
for me, and i'd be
his little princess and he'd
be my protective
king always
slaying dragons and cruel suitors
that weren't good enough for
me;
i confess i've always been
emotionally damaged
a little too
distant, a little too shy—
thought maybe
daddy could fix that, too,
but as a grown woman i realize
i must confess
that i slay my own dragons
and unfair suitors
sometimes break me before i realize
their cruelty, but one day
if i'm good enough
God will put me back together.