Photograph

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She spun the desk chair,

Felt dizzy, light and free

Like she could keep flying forever,

Swimming in a sea of endless stars.

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Her face was a portrait of happiness;

Her smile bright as the sun,

Her eyes like moonbeams.

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She found joy in life's simplest pleasures,

From licking a sweet lollipop

To trailing her fingers through a stream,

Laughing as she watched the fish

Glide through sparkling water.

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She basked in the sunshine,

Danced in the rain,

Caught leaves in the autumn

As they fell from the trees.

In winter, lay outside for hours

Making angels in the snow.

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She had a full and happy heart,

Compassionate towards everything,

Seeing the monkeys in the zoo and saying,

"Why are they locked up, mommy?

Why can't they go free?"

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She held dreams of fame and travel,

Dreamt of traveling to Africa,

Dreamt of wilderness;

The jungle, ripe bananas hanging from the trees.

Held those dreams fast to her heart

Like she would never let them go.

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"Someday I'll be famous

And I'll take you with me, mommy

To the stars."

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Her face, her eyes, her smile,

Permanently captured in a photograph.

A brilliant portrait of what once was,

What could have been ..

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Her eyes now glazed with tears,

Her face an ashen gray,

Her heart a mess of scattered pieces

That she sews together best she can,

To no avail.

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Her countless memories,

Now rushing together and

Blending in her mind.

She tries to push them away,

Tries to push away the fact

That now she is ..

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Herself a ghost,

Lying in the shadows,

Preferring to hide from her past,

Hide from her perfect face,

Her perfect happiness.

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She looks into the mirror now

And sees herself;

A shadow of what was,

A shadow of

What could,

What should,

Have been.

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