Slowly the sun goes down
Splashing dying embers
In her mane
Of untamed hair
With regret he pulls down the shades
To keep the scented summer
Fragrant with life
Outside
A subdued light
Tinged with tiny pools of dark
Invades
Her domain
Sleep softens her features further
He – the faithful sentinel watching over
his delicate flower –
Can’t help but fret
His chest feels tight
Aware the world
Will reach out with eager fingers
She will know hurt
He will contemplate murder
But for now the princess,
Just turned seven
Dreams still intact, untouched
Rests peacefully
He kisses her sweet cheek
Pulls back the covers
One last look, lingering, tender
For now she’s safe
Her innocence preserved
*Photograph found on Pinterest, try as I might I couldn’t find anyone to credit for it*
P.S. for whatever reason, WordPress is not letting me reply to older comments so I apologise to anyone who’s left thoughts on previous posts – I didn’t mean to ignore you, honest!