She’s the one who gives
Everything
Without asking for anything.
She’s the one you never remember.
She’s the one you call cool
Then walk away from,
Not even remembering her name.
She’s the one you never call.
She sits quietly,
Listening.
Content.
Broken.
She doesn’t expect people to care about her,
Not anymore.
She knows when she’s unwanted;
It is all she knows.
She is loved,
Cherished,
Quiet,
Forgettable.
She’s the one you smile at as you pass because
You recognize her,
But you can’t quite remember where from.
She’s the one who leaves
Your mind just as quickly as she
Entered.
She loves where she can,
Prays where she can’t.
She’s the smart one—
Straight A’s—
Who sees through the masks
Of people pretending they care.
She’s the one who has grown,
Finally,
Into someone she might
Be proud of.
God worked in her,
And does so still.
But all you see is the smile
Of a kind stranger.
She is imperfect,
She is flawed.
She knows imperfection breeds beauty
With God.
She knows in her core
It is in Him
Her beauty is restored.
Then why does she feel so ugly?
She’s the one who looks in the mirror
And can’t decide
If this is a day she wants to live
Or to die.
She’s the one who would never do it herself.
She’s too much of a coward
To do something so bold.
She’s afraid.
She knows she’d be missed,
Perhaps she’d be mourned.
But give it time and people will
Realize,
Their lives are more important than her death.
They are more important than her
No matter what people say.
She’s afraid
Her soul cannot be saved.
She wants to believe,
That her life amounts to something
But how can it,
When you can’t even remember her name?
She’s the one that’s okay,
She’s the one you see every single day.
She’s the one who asks about your well-being
She’s the one you brush away.
Girls like her aren’t meant to be remembered,
They aren’t supposed to make history.
They live in the shadows
Of the people who don’t recall their existence.
She doesn’t blame you.
She would forget her, too,
If only she were not stuck
Within herself.
She’s the one who pleases,
The one who checks in on you
But you won’t find her in photos.
No one wants a photo with a stranger.
You don’t have her number;
No one texts a stranger.
She’s the one you don’t answer back;
Who replies to a stranger?
She’s the one who knows God
Has a plan for her life,
However small it may be.
She grows impatient, though, sick of feeling
Unwanted.
She trusts Him,
She knows Him.
She thrives in His grace.
If only she did not feel so
Alone.
She’s the friend you don’t have to worry about,
She will worry for you, instead.
Rant to her;
She’ll listen.
No one rants to her,
No one talks to her,
No one trusts her.
No one trusts a stranger.
She’s not her brother, she’s not her sister,
She’s not her father or mother.
Perhaps if she were,
She’d be worth remembering.
She’s the one who stands with her cup
Empty,
Praying for one last drop,
One last piece of herself to give
Before they give up on her.
She’s the one who wasn’t enough then,
Who isn’t enough now.
But you wouldn’t know,
Because you do not know her.
No one knows her.
She’s the one who no one
Has ever taken the time
To understand.
That’d be alright with her
If she had one—
Just one—
Who cared enough to ask.
She’s the one who gives her all
Hoping for a friend in return,
But all she receives are familiar faces
Who cannot recall hers.
She’s the one you won’t remember when she’s gone.
She’s alright
She’s not broken
Don’t bother asking.
Not that you would anyway.
Kristin Mitchell hails from Corbin, Kentucky. She is a sophomore at University of the Cumberlands pursuing a degree in English with a Creative Writing emphasis. Set to graduate in Spring 2024, she hopes to thereafter pursue an MFA from University of Kentucky. It is her goal to travel the world while writing/publishing Young Adult novels that touch the hearts of readers through the exploration of life’s hardships and conquerable circumstances. She also plans to inquire into editorial opportunities in the years following graduation.
Pensworth 