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, no one sees,

The wilted flower fights to breathe.

A burden masked, a life concealed,

Her pain remains—unspoken, real.

Yet still she stands, though shadows press,

A fragile bloom that will not break,

Her silence hides a steady flame,

A strength the world has yet to name.