there are times
        	when I feel
        	that it's me
        
        	when I honestly start to believe
        	that I scare them away
        	with curiousity
        	that must seem fury-driven
        	in its intensity

        	too much for
        	some poor innocent
        	some unprepared person
        	to handle

        	maybe the constant desire to dig
        	to explore psyche
        	when someone catches my interest
        	is what
        	creates silence
        	where days ago
        	there was endless conversation
        
        	there is a part of me
        	not so unlike
        	the clashing contrasts I see
        	everyday

        	amidst my comfort
        	where they shudder
        	my happiness
        	where they cannot see
        	past the evening that comes quickly
        
        	lies the fear
        	and simple lack of comprehension
        	of the questions
        	that they don't like to answer

        	and there
        	i wince just as much
        	as anyone who runs away
        	from my stare.

Visit Dana Bettinger's page for more of her writing.