She walked on through the trees
The branches stuck out menacingly,
Poiting their knife-like ends at her
And she tried her best to duck around them
One caught her knee
And she silently said a prayer of thanks
Because it missed the open wound on the joint
By a mere three inches
Still, the fresh cut bled just like the rest

This was good luck

She reached the end of the trees
And something strange happened
The corners of her parched lips turned up
Against her will,
As if they didn't understand the weight of gravity,
As if they had forgotten the things that had preceded this forest
The things she wouldn't be able to forget

But oh, it felt so wonderful to *smile