i said, she’s just a little girl
i never said anything else
the girl next door
the goody-goody
perfect and pure
that’s what they all say
but i don’t anymore
she’s something you’ll never realize
just a little bit of a thing
short hair, big eyes
rosary beads
jangling in her pocket
cross dangling
around her neck
she’s awkward and clumsy
and maybe a little different
she doesn’t quite fit in
this was my first impression
but not my last
because i found
when i looked all this past
that i spoke too soon
thought too late
i didn’t see her at first
because i didn’t wait
i didn’t realize
her dreams expand
the whole world wide
i didn’t see how hard
she tried
that she stretched her heart far
far enough to break
she’d give and she’d give
but never take
but she doesn’t see herself
so she paints a picture of
sweet innocence
to hide a struggle within
smothering her feelings
she smuggles them away
in her pocket of secrets
that she’ll never say
she puts on a disguise
forces on a smile and bright eyes
she pretends to have everything
together
but inside she just crumbles
no matter what she defied
inside she just breaks down
and she knows that she can’t hide
forever
but she can’t seem
to find herself still
maybe because
when she tries to search
she looks in all the wrong places
she asks for nothing
because love’s all she wants
so she gives herself away
again and again
no matter the pain
though she knows that she shouldn’t
because he’s not the one
to break the chain
i wonder why
she can’t just
spread her wings
and fly
why can’t she see
she’s beautiful
inside and out
why can’t she see
what i see
that the beauty in her
is what everyone should be