The Girl I Once Knew

The girl I once knew

sang merrily while lying on the damp grass,

read stories out loud to her dolls;

played with a bright pink tea set.

But now

she only sings while no one is hearing,

she only reads solemnly in her head;

she rarely plays anymore.

The girl I once knew

got up at four to play with Legos,

debated on which flavor of ice cream to have;

didn’t care about what others thought of her.
 

But now

the Legos are stored away in her cabinets,

she hates any flavor of ice cream;

she perfects herself for others.

The girl I once knew

ate breakfast at midnight,

had such a bright heart;

was never too tired for anything.
 

But now

she barely eats breakfast at all,

her heart has shattered from sadness;

she’s been scarred too much.