Once upon a time there was a little girl

Oldest of three, and she had a dream

She wanted to be tall

She wanted to be strong

She wanted to believe

Believe? In what?

She believed in belief

in hopes, in love, in faith

Hope of the world on her narrow shoulders

Hope of the giant who would rock her to sleep

Dark eyes, dark hair, dark skin, burned

Burned from dreaming for her

Burned from slaving for her

 

Hope of the woman who taught her to read

In dark rooms, windowless rooms, narrow rooms

Rooms riddled with dust

 

She carries their hopes

Hope that she would carry them out 

Carry them into the light

A world of love, of faith, of hope

Where nobody cried and nobody died tired

So tired of the fight to escape the hard night