There was a little girl

who was often mistaken for a princess

Her hair was blond, waist-long

and she lived in a sundress

She loved her pretend diamond tiara

and her smile was perennial—

never needed sunlight or water

It bloomed at birth,

she was the easiest daughter

There is a teenager

who bleeds hopes and dreams

She writes them all down

and lives them out in her sleep

But she’s built herself up into a castle— protected

with sky-high walls

and impregnable defenses

There will be a woman

who will be happy and smile often

Her life will be full— shrouded in color

and her heart will have softened

She will be strong—

after all, she spent her whole life

breaking down her walls