The Open Window

Tucked away into a corner
A neglected window alone;
The shafts of light that made it through
Embraced the dark attic.

Dust motes hung in the musty air
No unconscious breeze did stir
The pretty cobwebs that caught the light
Betrayed no signs of life.

Though there was no past no life,
The window was its soul.

But like a dying finch that took flight
Like a withering tree that bloomed
Life flooded the dying room
With the coming of a broken heart that yearned.

Cautious footsteps and excited eyes,
That outshone a thousand stars
Sweeped across, satisfaction spread
Nobody had been there awhile.

Her companion,confidant and friend clutched to her chest,
She decided; this her safe harbor.

Curious eyes that dared peep outside
Hardly discovered much;
But the view through the tightly shut window
Was one that ignited hope.

Buildings that stood once proud, now meek
A dull sky stretched overhead.
The sole symbol of thriving life
A mighty chestnut tree.

A comfort was the silent tree that stood below
Life- a gentle smile at the prospect.

Now she lived a hidden life
A half-life to be lived; or death
Laughter or tears, the slightest mistake
Would be a lure into eternal silence.

Unendurable emotions were trapped within
She longed to just cry out
But how could she? Oh, this living hell
Would death have not been sweeter?

Oh hear! Those passion soaked words she wove
Held more meaning than the world.

Fear of discovery- a constant companion
But with embers of hope buried deep within
She watched them grow, held them close
Lest the darkness extinguish them all.

News of misery, of torture, of death,
Her friend accepted it all
But news of change, a closing war
There was still hope after all.

She squared her shoulders, raised her chin
Come what may, she would endure it all.

Staring out the window, invisible to the world
Tides of time washed over her;
Still standing she emerged
More a woman, less a child.

She sighed over her lover's kiss
Smiled at the thought of family
Her wishes,desires, her dreams, her hopes!
Oh, if only they would come true.....

She explored her thoughts, she learnt so much
And ah, the pain would end soon.

But as her hope reached its peak
It all came crashing down; a betrayal-
She was ripped away from her window of hope
Dragged away into the unknown.

Shoved into an inhuman life;
Her glowing embers put out
She fought so hard, but couldn't bear it all
And she closed her eyes forever.

But those 25 months of hardship and pain
The memory still lived on.

Yet there still existed a window,
In the dark world that concealed her
T'was always shut, so they say,
But in truth it was always open.

The smile that tugged at her resentful lips
The tears that fell from her saddened eyes
The fear that choked her suppressed sobs
The window saw it all.

Oh hear! That hand that scratched in those silent words
Outspoke a hundred hushed whispers.

The chestnut tree that throbbed with life
The key that set her imagination free
The wind that helped her hopes soar high
The window had wished it all.

It was the window that ignited hope
It was the window that kept her sane
It was the window that helped her heart take flight
It was an open window, after all.

The young girl that stood out from so many others
Whose voice was heard above the rest
The young girl who had fought it all
Whose boundless spirit shall never be forgotten.

They say her words changed the world
They say her name was Anne Frank.