Presumed Innocent Poem by Marilyn Shepperson

A young child kneels in a corner
The bloom of a perect white rose in her hands
Head down, she gazes in wonder
A picture of pure innocence
My heart wept to see her there
But not with joy or love
Because I know the world, she will be facing
When she grows up
But then she lifted her head
Those eyes were deep and haunted
Perhaps therefore, she knows already
And that is why she is so sad
Her innocence has been destroyed