In the shadows of the night, behind that smile lies a long stretch of mile. Far, far away, deep in the woody places is a girl too lonely to share. It’s as if she has no memories to spare and her desires are too far to reach.

On Sunday the sun rises and the preacher preaches words to encourage, but her body is bandaged, her emotions muffle her. Inside she weeps with no embrace because she has become everyone else’s pillar. No one noticing that she is falling, no one noticing that she is cracking.

She dangles, but isn’t being held strong, instead is being told she should be strong. She is strong; she should pull them out as they are weaker, eager to impress. She pulls and pulls, they are saved, but she sinks and is critically left to fend for herself.

Like a painting, she is colourful but that colour covers her cracks. Her scars healed and unhealed, she wears them with no fear. She still hopes to see the dreams she’s dreamt. She holds onto the sites she’s seen that make life less bitter. Her colourful life was coloured in by her faith that never faded. Even when the curtains went down and the crowd’s voices faded with pain, she bowed with no regrets.

Tell us: What advice do you have for the girl in the piece?