A child hides in purple tinted sweetness;
Outside a storm is brewing.
Leaves and petals try to shield from dark rains;
Yet, still, the cold, wet touches.
Shivering in misery, she stays still;
Hoping not to be noticed.

She still shivers there within me, herself;
Waiting for the storm to end.
Reaching for the sunbeams and the flowers;
Arms raised for me to save her.
God weeps for us both, this child and myself;
For only I can reach her.

Don't look at me like that,
Pitying, distanced, helpless.
Don't look and see only;
pain, humiliation, tears.

I can see my own faults,
But I also see my strength.
I view how I got here;
Survival, courage, spirit.

Don't look at me like that,
Now, all these long years too late.
You looked away back then;
When I silently pleaded.

Turn your eyes to yourself.
Do you like what I can see?

Once upon a time was stolen,
By the Giant with the beanstalk.
The magic harp was smashed to bits,
The golden goose has called it quits.

Prince charming was certainly not,
The Pied Piper led us to doom.
But we survived by wit and grace,
By courage and our secret place.

Telling the tale is our revenge,
Puffing away your house of straw.
Our lives we won't let you deter,
Claiming happily ever after.

Fear, is a living being,
That feeds on our dreams.
A darkness, always shifting,
It's not all that it seems.

Terror, a formless shape,
Lurking in the dark,
Wearing no black, velvet cape,
Leaving no tell tale mark.

Dread, paralizes your heart,
It will strike you blind,
So that you can't see, now its part,
Is all played in your mind.

You absorbed every secret,
Listened to every tear,
Calmed me when I was upset,
Held all my treasures dear.

Weeping soaked your hair of yarn,
Dragging tore your cloth flesh.
Bore up against every darn,
Dried up each day afresh.

When I slept you watched o'er me.
Awake you let me cry.
The pain no one saw, you'd see.,
And knew never to pry.

Your stitched lips gave no false smile,
They taught me to be brave.
Embroidered eyes loved me while,
into your 'ear' I'd rave.

You'd sit in the lilac bush
And let me serve you 'tea'.
As pain poured out in a rush,
You'd always comfort me.

Years and years have passed us by,
I see you sitting there,
I smile as I know why,
You've been giv'n so much care.

Tattered flesh and balding head,
You gave solace when,
I'd hold you close in my bed,
And share all with you then.

My inner child needs you now,
Your work, it has no end.
Trembling she reached for you,
My dear forever friend.

It's been so long since I put it on
I forgot I wore
a mask.

Not glitter kissed or all feather dressed
but plain and dull
to see.

Till one day it cracked and flaked a bit
and then in shock
I screamed.

As fingers flew to hold it in place
it crumbled in
my hands.

Then I was a stranger to myself
and to all those
I knew.

A little girl in big grown up clothes
with sleeves flopped o'er
my arms.

My mask was ruined and I was lost
not who I thought
I was.

Now I must know, do I glue it back
or grow up on
my own?

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