Little Girl
There is a time when, inexplicably,
there is too much attention, and
that little girl who always shied away,
who stayed in the back of the room,
the edges, the shadows, the safety of anonymity
can't take any more.
At first, when she learned to play the game,
she relished the lustful glances, the
clamoring, burgeoning attention.
She was charmed by the rush
of being adored.
Now, though, she seeks the quiet corners,
finding only emptiness
in the flirtatious friendship of a crowd.