There once was a girl, no, wait, a woman.
She was beautifully normal.
She made a lot of a little money.
Enough for her complicated yet simple life.
Her shoes were Velcro or slip-ons.
Her eyesight was clear.
But it was her smile.
She had a smile that spread like a disease.
Like a forest fire.
Those who reached it would eat it,
Believe it and live it for a moment.
One glint, one smile.
She would apologise to any stare or even at the air.
Her secret mission, un-noticed but felt.
Un-paid but good enough to ‘stop a fight’.
Fill empty hearts.
Notice the un-noticed and the missed.
Apart from her own.
One day she was gone.
Paid too little she grew thin.
Her smile cracked.
An earthquake on her face.
Her smile like a disease,
Eating away at her until she was gone.
The un-sung hero was never high strung.
Her smile was a Tsunami when it did seize.
But there are others that suffer the disease.
Remember to smile back at the next one.
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The Flaneur
Editor-in-chief, The Flaneur. This article has been written by an independent writer and uploaded by the Flaneur admins. The author's details are above.
2 comments
Lucy says:
Oct 28, 2011
Really lovely poem.
barbara kerridge says:
Oct 29, 2011
Catriona your poem is beautiful. Well done. Love Grandma xxxx