She was a Child – Once

Each Tear dripped slowly,

Curving down her cheeks,

Leaving a fresh, clean trail behind.

Her hands gently caressed

The picture of a child

That none would ever find.

The silent sobs of a desperate woman

Reached as far as the shadows around her

And turned the darkness cold.

She heaved one last, heavy sigh

And returned the picture to its frame

And shelf of memories long past old.

Calmly, she wiped her eyes, smoothed

Her creaseless dress, and with a smile,

She walked back to the rest.

And none of them, with their own fake

Smiles and sad eyes, could have guessed

That the child was her – her at her best.