There They Were

There they were,
Two young souls,
Adrift in the sea of humanity,
Surrounding them completely,
As they, May bright and serene,
Captured for just a short time,
Spirits raised high enough,
Long enough,
To venture out,
From their one protective veil,
The Catholic home for the wayward,
To the glitter of lights and sights -
The mega shopping mall,
The very place that damaged them so,
Not too long ago,
In some now distant past.
The two waifs,
Float gently and carefully,
Towards the front doors.
They pause at the shore,
Suddenly aware,
They were revisiting,
Almost forgotten perils,
The lights, the smiles, the hopes,
The promises, the short moments,
The loneliness, the bitterness, the heartache,
The disease, desolation and final inner destruction.
With one foot in and one foot out,
From deep within comes a terrifying shout!
Run my sisters - run!
Return to those who truly care.
To those who see you both as people,
And not just bodies,
To be used by others,
And then effortlessly discarded forever.
You are important!
You are loved for who you are!
Paper butterflies, you will be missed!

-- By Tim Howie