Hopeless Hope

Softly, slowly, like a moth to a flame,
Lured back into a reality, where once survival equated a soul torn apart.
Stronger, stupider,
Wiser, more foolish;
Lured into that intimate trap of unspoken dreams,
Challenging the fickle goddess of survival.
Both past and present irrevocably tied,
Dreams reborn, stronger and more fragile.
Hope dangerously burning through embittered memories,
Burning away,
Offering clarity of a future that could have been...and one that never will.

Older now, acceptance of the inevitable comes easier
... (she smiles) If not the pain of old scars being gently sliced open.

Dry eyed, smiling, grasping at pride's balustrade -
Dressed up, shining, she descends;
Her lost world hidden behind shuttered eyes.
The brittle smile, softer now,
In appreciation for the second chance that never was.