Transformation

Who is this stranger in the mirror?
She is smiling back at me
And I hardly recognize her
There is an intensity in her eyes
That I've never seen before.

Was it so long ago
That she was only a child
Looking out at the world
Through innocent eyes
How short-lived, was that purity.

How long did it take
To break her, bend her
And remake her
What was it like to see
The willpower fade into her fate.

What horrors were then captured
In her fierce defiant eyes
Such an angry child still
Fighting a battle against herself
Unable to retreat from the enemy in her head.

Did you see the moment
When hope began to bloom
Such a taste of freedom
Glowing in those orbs
Can you blame her for her running?

So many years passed
A smile upon her face
Never really knowing
The noose was set in place
And she, so happily swinging.

When did the light go out
Dreaming turns to wake
Standing in the darkness
Drowning in the dream
Everything was dying.

Could you see it in her eyes
The choice she needed to make
How could she make the leap
The safety of the dreaming
Or the freedom of awake.

It was then I saw the child again
Staring out at me with fear
I smiled and crossed my fingers
And hoped that she would choose
To give herself a chance at life.

And so I see this stranger
The eyes are just the same
Except the fire that burns inside
Engulfed with hunger and thirst for life
I think I know her name.