Like a delicate butterfly with pigtails she used to laugh and smile. With gentle kisses and warm hugs she was mine for a while. Looking at me with puppy dog eyes as sleep found her. Into sweet dreams under warm blankets no cares to worry her. The summers passed and the winters came. The years ran together into a blur of memory. Now the sun is bright and she has blossomed from a small flower into a glorious rose. A bird that seeks its freedom as the wind finds it, calling the beautiful bird to try its wings. Feeling the warm sun of possibilities, she takes flight. A woman in her own right, no more the girl of yesterday.  She spreads her wings and she is gone, leaving only fleeting memories in her wake.