her hair was blonde and wavy
she would wear it down
and run her hands through it,
like clockwork

her smile was bright
it came just as often as her laugh,
also luminous
like a starry sky

her skin was soft,
her eyes blue,
her cheeks full,
and her lips pink

she graced a room with her presence,
her enthusiasm,
her wit,
and her smile

she stood up for her beliefs
and protected her friends
she was a fantastic gift giver
and an excitable partner

she gave often,
took rarely,
lifted up those around her,
and never stopped loving

all the while,
she was fighting a losing battle;
one with herself,
in the comfort of her own head

she bore the battle scars
on her legs, wrists, and hips
she hid them with her smile
and that ever so frequent laugh

she could not explain
why she, a girl with such promise,
felt like rotting wood
and cracked pavement

she could not,
and would not,
come to terms
with her withering state

no longer believing in herself,
she succumbed,
broken and fearful,
and left her body