Silent shelved hopes
and bitter tears;
lifeless and disfigured
by mascara smears.
With gloom-wrapped shoulders,
she reaches out a hand,
but the majority pass by her,
and few can understand.
So she sits in stilled anguish,
waiting for a promising sign,
but the world is relentless
and only seeks to undermine.
She realizes she’s a burden,
another rift in society.
And so she sits and languishes
for all she’ll never be.
© 2021 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/homeless-beggar-woman-poverty-cry-3584319/
Writing prompt: A bottle of hope sat on the shelf
Her Writing Haven 