Rusty little girl ....

I can see a little girl
Swinging slowly on a rusty swing
She kicks her legs out
And kicks them back in
Her knees are covered in dirt
And her pigtails hold the ringlets in her hair
Her little dress of flowers and lace
cute little freckles cover her little nose and face

I'm staring at this little girl
Wondering where I've seen her before
And I'm struck by the feeling
Of familiarity once more

She's looking to the distance
Her little eyes looking to the sky
And the sadness etched on her face makes me want to cry

And every step I walk towards her
A little further away she gets
So once more I stand still and
Watch her from a distance

The space around her is empty
Just her little soul and a rusty swing
The only flowers are on her dress
And the only movement from the wind

She sits so still
And I watch her stare
Into nothing that is there
another step towards her
A further step away she gets

This time I start running
Into the distance where she starts to disappear
I try to call out to her
But I'm not sure she hears

And finally I reach the spot
But she is nowhere
It's just me looking into the mirror
Looking for a child that is no longer there x