"Echo"

~ Cassie

I am an echo unclear

An impression of the beautiful girl I longed to be

The shadow that I am shows the easy traces

Of the wondrous creature never created

I was drawn with generous lines

And my smile has never held the grace long-sought

A closer look at the child within

Reveals the woman insecure

And there is only a glimpse

Of the genius needed to be possessed

I am the candle with the paling flame

A golden glory never held

But I am a treasure of all the things I am not

No other heart holds the measure

Of the essence of myself

I am the gift of the age

A reality that beckons something more perfect

I am a cherished flaw

Molded by divine hands

My warmth is my wisdom

Of the beauty not mine to display

And of the power to be amazed

By the bounty of magnificence surrounding us

I am a song of imperfection

The harmony uneasy upon the ear

And I am a brief touch that passes

Before you could have ever known I was there

I lower my head against the sunlight

Unforgiven my trespasses

And I embrace this deepening twilight

A cloak to pretend a rare beauty within the folds

I am the countless tragedy

The child of children worn by time

Harsh weather against the saving grace

And though my face remains untouched

By the eternal hand of beauty

I am the gentle smile of things forgotten

The reminiscence of hope never lost.

© 2002.