Hollow Girl

Come one, come all, step through the glow,

Behold the girl of ash and snow.

A silent heart, so cold and still,

Once full of love, now void of will.

They gasp and sneer, the crowd draws near,

"A wretch," they say, "a thing to fear."

A girl who once knew joy and grace,

Now darkness clings to her embrace.

“She sang of spring, of skies so blue,

Of rabbits, flowers kissed with dew.

But now she’s cursed by spite and flame,

A hollow shell without a name.”

Among the seats, with downcast eyes,

Another girl in silence lies.

With ribbons tied through tangled hair,

She watches on, too numb to care.

She knows the weight of played charades,

A puppet trapped in cruel parades.

Of heavy hands and bitter breath,

Of being loved too close to death.

The stage reflects a kindred pain,

A mirror streaked with past and stain.

She sees the ruin, torn apart,

And feels it echo in her heart.

She dares to hope, though small and shy,

That broken things can learn to fly.

To flee the grip that made her stray,

And steal her soul back from decay.

She bends to gather what remains,

Through trembling hands and phantom chains.

To heal before she slips away

Before her heart turns cold as clay