The Girl

She came into this world with cheeks the color

of cherry blossom trees, and eyes

that seemed to reflect the bluest of oceans.

They named her Elizabeth,

a name that meant strength and royalty.

Priya was born on the hottest day

the village had had in months, so it was fitting

that her eyes seemed to glow in the light,

and that her lips, so small and perfect,

were the color of the setting sun.

Isabella was named after three generations

of strong, ambitious women who had

unrelentingly fought for the freedom to be heard.

Her eyes, the color of coffee, crackled

with the desire to be noticed.

The youngest of seven children,

Amelie was born with the drive to survive.

With hands as delicate as lace,

and eyes the color of the Paris sky,

she refused to be treated carefully.

It took two days to bring Fatima into the world,

yet she was anything but slow.

The charcoal-eyed girl, with skin the color

of the desert sand in January, took life

and its challenges head on.

Born centuries and worlds apart,

each with challenges unimaginable

to one another, there is one string

that binds them all;

the girl.