she smiles at the memories

family gatherings

happy faces

smiles that used to light up the room

her children's excited voices

Christmas and birthdays

innocent wonder

but the memories fade, all too soon

she pulls her tattered coat

around her tired, dirty body

huddled in the shelter of a garbage bin

fighting back the constant hunger

memories still stay with her

but they are just reminders

of what was, what was taken

years ago, when she was younger

but memories don't keep her warm

or take the hunger away

they don't give her a safe place to sleep

a hot bath, a brighter day