This fortress

Mr. Gorbachev,
This is not a wall.
This is a fortress
Decades in the making.
Built out of deception and disappointment
And reinforced with fear and doubt,
Protecting me from something I can no longer define.
I am the guard
Of my own prison.

You cannot tear this down yourself,
But you can do some damage.
I am already under siege
And on my last line of defense,
Stalling for time
My entire life.
Opening up to the outside
And contemplating surrender,
In spite of myself.