The Woman Within

I saw a woman yesterday,

while walking in the park.

She wore a smile I recognized,

but her eyes were cold and dark.

*

Her step, a little quick,

her eyes looking towards the ground.

She never paused to meet my eyes,

as She hurried through the crowd.

*

I watched her as she kept that pace,

disconnected from the rest.

And wondered what had happened,

to lock that door inside her chest.

*

Did she lose the key to happiness?

Had someone let her down?

I ached inside as I thought about,

what made her smile begin to frown.

*

Then I looked up to see a reflection,

in a window I passed by.

I felt a little panicked, as began to realize.

*

I, was the woman walking.

I didn’t recognize,

the person that I had become,

hiding there behind my eyes