Despite illness and death

Heartbreak and loneliness

We sisters march on

Till the bleakness of hope glimmers in the morning sun

A friend’s love not returned

Nevertheless there is still a love

But tis I am not in love

Nor ever will be with you

I see your pale face

Suffering etched in your young yet old wrinkles

The twinkle of your eyes still shines in the moonlight

I will return to you dear sister

Death takes a whimsical soul

A sister that cannot be replaced

No dreams made, as though you knew the end were coming

And you were so strong through it all

From a young little girl

I am now a Little Woman

Thanks to you dear hardships

I know pain and blessings alike

A friend off in the world

Left me behind with his heartbreak

With my own heart hung heavily in the shadows

A life not of my own choosing, but tis my own living

I found my love for you surprising

But I caught it with my heart and held fast to it

I settled down into a merry happiness

And there I found contentment, with my Little Women.

— Charlie Honea, CHHS Class of 2017