All You Starers

She woke up early this Friday

''When are we going, When are we going?''

I had promised to take her out for a movie and a lunch

''When are we going, When are we going?''

She dressed up in her new Top,

A red one, with delicate lace.

She borrowed my makeup,

Not a hair out of place.

I took her for a movie,

And then a great lunch we had.

''Look Ma, everyone is looking at me

Don't I look lovely!'' She said

Yes, lovely she is.

My daughter of eighteen.

Prettiest girl I ever saw

Prettiest that could have been.

''Yes, they are looking, my dear

Wondering who the girl is!''

My heart stifled a sob

Cos I knew what the truth is.

They don't see her,

Not her lovely eyes,

Her lovely hair do

Or her beautiful smile.

How she is trying,

Carefully, not to drop

A drop of soup on her lovely new Top

How she eats with such grace

And every now and then wipes her face

All they see is the eight year old,

Trapped inside the body of my eighteen year old.

They see her as an animal,

Caged in a zoo.

They whisper to each other, so others stare too

They focus on how she holds her spoon,

On what she is saying

And how she would talk

I feel the eyes burning,

They stare at her walker

And then stare her walk.

While my daughter

Is happy with the looks.

She has a twinkle in her eye

And a child within

And she asks me again

''Look Ma, everyone is looking Don't I look lovely!''