her hair hangs in jagged edges
its teeth caressing her pale neck.
her eyes surrounded with dark rings
her thin pink lips chapped.
she flinches away from your touch,
not from hate but from fear
the last time someone touched her there
she woke up with butterfly bruises.
she’s skeptical about everything you say
even when you claim they are truths
because the last time someone promised her something
she was left alone.
there are scars over her body
inside and out
her eyes fill with tears
when her lips form a smile.
but she’s stronger than you know
each time she grabs your hand
or laughs at your jokes
she’s pushing down her ghosts.
all she needs is a good shoulder to cry one
reliable friends to share her horrors
a life worth living for
and lovely dreams worth caring for.
her hair hangs in soft edges
its curls brushing her pale neck
her eyes filled with love and hope
her rosy lips tilted in a smile.