Black Cake

by Charmaine Wilkerson

what about a person’s life? How do you make a map of that? The borders people draw between themselves. The scars left along the ground of one’s heart.

if you wanted someone to keep loving you, you couldn’t ask them to bear all of your burdens, couldn’t risk letting them see all of who you were. No one really wanted to know another person that well.

And when people didn’t understand something, they often felt threatened. And when people felt threatened, they often turned to violence.

Because the people you loved were part of your identity, too. Perhaps the biggest part.

Question yourself, yes, but don’t doubt yourself. There’s a difference.