Her thin arms bear the weight of lost youth
Holding the world at bay with a glance
Lips that do not part except to breathe fire
Keep secrets whispered in the darkness

Time has already passed her by
A lifetime lived in the dawn of youth
Eyes hardened against the gray pain
Sweeping through her unfathomable mind

Ahead lies the aftermath
The return to something like normal
While memory draws her back to shadow
The pain of adventure better than the peace of now

Tell her to forget, and she holds on tighter
Ask her to move on, she walks two steps back
Try to convince her that the past was a dream
She will tell you that she still has not awoken

Photo: “Candy Cigarette” by Sally Mann, one of my favorite photographers. If you haven’t seen her work before, check it out at sallymann.com