She’d wake up every morning
In the center of that bright pink room
With purple stripes on the walls.
Sitting up in bed,
Her thoughts consisted of
Where are my parents and
I smell breakfast-I bet it’s pancakes.
She’d run to the kitchen to see
Mom setting the table and
Dad holding a crinkled newspaper.
They’d all eat together,
But she’d be the chatter box
Telling tales only imagination can come up with
And magical moments she’d dreamt of.
She’d grab a bright blue crayon
And start painting a picture of the
Big blue sea
With all the creatures it holds.
Then she’d take one of her dolls
And dress it in that innocent pale blue dress
With the worn white sandals
And her hair brushed back
Into a neat ponytail.
She’d adventure outside into the mysterious world,
Not a care in her mind,
Feeling like a beautiful princess
That rules all the land and sea.
Settling down on her swing set,
She’d sway back and forth for hours
Until her mother called her inside for dinner.
She wakes up now
In the middle of her room with
Faded pink walls covered in endless posters.
Rolling out of bed,
She picks out her outfit for the day
And hopes there’s something to eat
For breakfast.


She drags herself to the kitchen
And see’s the note from her mother that reads
Gone to work,
And a neatly folded newspaper
Sitting unopened on the counter
Left behind by her father.
She pours a bowl half filled with cereal,
No milk,
And thinks about the test she has in math today.
Grabbing her cell phone,
An empty screen stares back at her
Before she tosses it face down on the couch
To be picked up later.
Sitting in front of the bathroom mirror she
Straightens her hair and
Paints on make-up that she knows
She needs to look beautiful.
Walking to the bus she thinks
Do I look fat?
Are they talking about me?
I hate school.
Six hours later and she’ll be home again,
Before her mom,
Sitting on her bed with never-ending homework
And an empty stomach.