The problem with a battered soul is that when it finds someone who finally picks interest in it, it seems to reveal too much. The problem with a battered soul is that when it finally gives room for love, it tends to love too much. The problem with a battered soul is that in its search for peace and love it might give itself out without much restraint, because a battered soul seeks for just one single human being that will care to listen to its stories. A battered soul has so many stories which are not yet told, and that is what makes its condition worse, the accumulation of untold stories. The battered soul knows that telling its story will make it easier for it to become healed. It knows that the more it keeps its stories to itself the more it hurts. A battered soul seeks for a listener. Who will listen to me?

So when it finally finds someone who cares to listen to its stories, the battered soul spilled out secrets and stories which had tarried for a long time in it, and before it knew what was happening, it has said so many things within a small space of time, then it recollects itself in fear. Though it felt as though a heavy weight was wheeled out of it, but what about this person now having its secrets and stories. Oh, my goodness!

What if this person betrays me?

Isaac Aju is a Nigerian writer of fiction of poetry. His works have appeared in Poetry X Hunger, Kalahari Review and Penned In Rage Journal. He was recently interviewed by Flapper Press Poetry Cafe on his writing and advocacy.