time is not our oxidant, life is

her heels
elevated her confidence in the mecenary jungle
yet robbed
her ability to skip, to run

her practised smile
won her superficial praises directed at superficial attributes
yet hid
her rebellion behind the facade

her rimmed eyes
lied beneath enhancing kohl
yet resigned
to trials that sapped the sparkle out of them

a sacrifice
to the omnipotent entity known as
life