A short poem where a person compares their false beliefs to grumpy hedgehogs where the spikes protects them from the outside world. They realize however, that these actually create a wall, preventing real connection and feelings, rather than protecting them.
My beliefs,
or what I try to convince myself into believing,
look like grumpy hedgehogs
They growl things like “I don’t care”, “i can’t do that” , “ i don’t want them”
these hedgehogs act so very tough
Their shell is sharp and rough
Yet they are truly scared of coming out
Without their shell, they feel small, naked, vulnerable.
I believe that If I cover myself with grumpy hedgehogs
I can create a powerful armor
One that protects me from all the pain in the world
But what appears as a shield is actually a wall
It keeps me distant from real feelings
enclosed in a comfortable bubble of numbness
I am working hard to challenge those grumpy hedgehogs
So that those growls that distance me from others become invitations to connect.
“There is nothing wrong with caring, with feeling, with connecting” - I tell the hedgehogs
In hope that they will walk away