She keeps, by her mirror, a china doll,
that is less of a single work of art,
and more of a collection
of shattered shards,
a compilation of broken,
a mess of pieces.
It was created by a perfected technique:
   Shatter and glue.
   Shatter and glue.
   Shatter and glue.
A wicked cycle.
She keeps, by her mirror, a china doll
with cracks that run every which way,
and she traces these cracks,
one by one,
with slender fingers,
proof that there is hope
for her and her patchwork heart.
She keeps, by her mirror, a china doll,
to remind herself
that sometimes,
broken things
remain beautiful.