There was a girl, so smart, so able,
Like a flower—beautiful, yet fragile,
Like a lily pad edged with quiet peril.
Chores she bears, though meals go missed,
Stress is weight, and pain feeling unreal.
Life climbs her back, a burden she must carry,
Abuse that cuts, too harsh to seem true.
Baggy clothes, concealer, and careful masks,
A silent signal of hidden uncertainty.
And in the quiet, n...