Dark forest surrounds her
The smell of earthy decay reaches her nose
She breathes deep, digging her toes
Deeper into the dark, damp earth
The full moon's luminescent rays
Cast jarring shadows, throwing the world
Into a harsh reality
Dark shadows hide dangers unforeseen
Lustrous eyes stare at her from within
The deepest obscurities, hidden by immense trees
The ancients, always watching
But never whispering a word
Crows caw within the darkness
Sending shivers ascending her spine
Making her hair stand on end
Her hair billows around her
Like a curtain in a summer gust
Glowing an insipid red
Watered down by her mother's tears
Devoid of the luster of light
Sapped of the brightness of youth
Within the moon's sympathetic eyes
The girl changes
Grows old from wear
Worry and tear
Bones become brittle as dried leaves
Her skin wrinkles
Like the folds of the sand dunes of time
Her eyes fail to see
Like water gone cloudy from
Debris stirred up by troubles long forgotten
Her mind, once as porous
As fresh, springy moss
Dries and cracks, like a dried steam
But her eyes remain
Bright and knowing
Twinkling like the stars