Shadow of a child's mind

She stood there alone, gazing at the waves Ashamed of the reflection of her own self Tears poured down her eyes Her vision blurred The burden of hope Her dreams murdered. A castle of hopes, built on sand Collapsing, deteriorating before her eyes The pain, hard to comprehend There's a shadow in her mind Unseen, unheard By the strangers passing by The shadow is a secret Whose cries, she masks by her wistful smile She hopes it was all a bad dream Her eyes, once sparkled in ambition, is now dim She pictured herself in threads of gold But now, she's lost in tales, never to be told She feels like a wingless bird All she ever wanted Was her silent cries to be heard.