she put up a strong front
as to not be judged
but truly
inside, she is screaming and pleading and reaching out
for a samaritan to grab her
brittle hand and pull her out of the cold darkness
that was oh so slowly drowning her
but that ghost of everything that was, did not come
it did not save her,
her poor hopeless soul.
she was never here,
she was always missing,
never present,
it was like she was already dead.
she hid so much pain
behind a smile
and no one saw how much she
was hurting.
