A circle describes

Her laughter that day

Pure and sparkling with life

She stood across the fence

In the middle of tag

And laughed as her friend tripped

And fell on the grass

Her circle was perfect

No dents or angles to ruin it

It was free

Just like her

But several days later

I would see her again

And she would be a line

Her perfect little circle broke

And straightened out

From the weight that was on her shoulders

Over the course of a few months

Her line became a cane

That little curve had some hope

That things would get better

She smiled more

Even if it looked forced

And the weight became a little less

A little while later

That cane turned into an oval

She looked like the same girl

That I saw before

Her smile was back

And she looked relaxed

The weight on her shoulders

Gone

She wasn't the perfect

Little circle that I knew from before

And I don't think she'll ever be

She's not the same

But a better version of herself