Down by the Cherry Blossoms: Short Poem

Written by: Tracey Liu

​She had scars - but she didn’t fight a war. 

But she was only a child who still bore scars. 

People praised her for her scars, thinking she had some heroic adventure.

She didn’t feel proud of them. 

Instead, she felt

ashamed

flustered

upset

dirty. 

Yet she was only a child, who should have still had her innocence. 

They mocked her because of her culture - where she was once proud of it, she felt dirty.

Yet she was only a child, who should have been proud. 

And every now and then, she went down to the cherry blossom trees, where they welcomed her with open arms. 

She wanted to lie there forever. 

But she was only a child, who should have been loved.

Then one day, she decided she had had enough. 

And so down she went to the cherry blossom trees, where the flowers were sparkling pink.

And down, down, down, she went until the flowers dripped red. 

Yet she was only a child who took her own life.

​