Once upon a time...

Once upon a time, there was a girl

She loved to sing and dance and twirl

She dreamed a dream and made a wish

And waited to see how it might come true.

Once upon a time, there was a girl

Whose wish in her heart began to unfurl

It turned to hope and expectation

And she longed for the day it would be real.

Once upon a time, there was a girl

Who was no longer a girl and wore pearls

Still waiting and wishing and longing

And clinging fiercely to a hope deferred.

A hope that grew dimmer and more distant by the hour

A hope that defied logic, reason and reality

A hope that truly, and in every way, made her heart sick

A hope that was dying, choked by years and tears and heartbreak

Once upon a time, there was a woman

Who still liked singin', dancin' and twirlin'

But saw the sun set on that dream she dreamed

And she let it go. And she did not die.