she holds that resplendent pearl of treasured idealism,
silently, you scream "wake up to reality!"
she looks around in search of hope,
but hope betrays, existing only as an illusion.
she trods on relentlessly, idealism waned but not depleted,
resigned, you look on with consternation.
yet again, she cries to you.
of her repeated pain, anguish and agony.
why did her innocent search of love and affection,
bring rise to so much injustice?
innocence lost, purity stained, no longer pristine.
in doleful commiseration, you want to reach out to her.
but she is already numb.
numb with affliction.
handicapped by her fall from grace.