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.