She was the apple of an eye, when she entered this world
She was a joy to see , as she smiled and took her first steps
The years passed, she grew and grew
A shining light to the lives of those who clothed and fed her
She was loved, protected, and cherished

As years passed, she became a teen
She had dances , thoughts of boys, drinking fountain drinks at the shop
The latest music was a craze, the parents thought , this sound would fade
All the dances , all the laughter stopped, when first the bombs began to fall
She learned about ugliness, betrayal, death, and survival
The face of hatred was overseas, painted by a man , who nearly brought the world to it's knees

The years passed , that man faded away
She was back and enjoying the world around her
Meeting a soul, falling in love , raising a family , enjoying the first steps
of her own little ones

Today, she is older, wiser, a beauty still to behold to so many in her world
But to all of us who pass her on the street, she is old, bent over a walker
Her steps now more slow, more unstable
To most of us , we pass her by, we do not see that beautiful woman from long ago
We only see age, or we only feel sorry for her , and for the fight her body is putting upon her

At one time, this woman was a beauty to behold
Today , she is still a beauty to behold , to treasure, to cherish
Do not look away , do not feel sorry for her
Instead , stop , say hi and cherish that smile she possesses
Her mother did, and she still does.......