Rachel Young

e x p r e s s i o n

Walk Through the Fire

The girl at the corner with her head hung low
She turns her eyes away as I walk over to say hello
The smell of must and ashes linger on her tattered clothes
Her eyes avoid mine as she stands in humble pose
Her head still hung low, her eyes fixed on the ground
I’ve found a look of innocence in this God-forsaken town

She lifts her eyes slowly, the color of the sea
I wonder what it is she thinks when she looks at me
“I’ve walked through the fire
I’ve stood through the flames
I’ve been burnt a thousand times
So you can’t put me to shame
Keep walking stranger
There’s nothing here to see
I’m just like you and
You are no better than me”

I offer her five dollars as an act of charity
She turns her back and walks away from me
I shout out to her, “I’m just trying to help you out”
She turns around and whispers softly
“Your self-righteous deed is no good to me.”

She’s walked through the fire
She’s stood through the flames
She’s been burnt a thousand times
And I can’t put her to shame

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