the girl I use to be

In the depths of my soul, a question does arise, Where is the girl I used to be, that once looked through my eyes? As time went by, did she simply fade away? Or does she still reside, within the depths of today? I search for her presence, in memories so dear, Through laughter and tears, in moments held near. Did she vanish, like a dream that's long forgotten, Or is she hidden, waiting to be begotten? Amidst the chaos, where my days collide, I wonder if I've changed, or lost a part of my stride. Has the world altered me, twisted my very core, Or does she still exist, yearning to restore? The mirror reflects a face, familiar but unknown, A glistening smile, lines of life that have grown. Yet gazing deeper, searching within my gaze, Whispers echo softly, through the mysterious haze. I quest for the girl I used to be, in life's grand maze, In the echoes of innocence, in the sun's golden rays. Is she still there, beneath these layers of time, Or is she a mere fragment, lost in rhythm and rhyme? The answer eludes me, as I tread this path unknown, For change is the essence, in the seeds we have sown.