Fourteen

His fingers quickly tapped away
He asked, "Who shall I be today?"
He thought it would be rather keen
If he transformed into a teen.

She giggled when she saw his face -
One handsome guy in Cyberspace
Someone she thought she'd like to meet
His message was so very sweet!

He wrote that he was somewhat shy
A kind and laid-back sort of guy
That he was hoping they could talk
And go for a romantic walk.

Ignored too many times before,
She longed - just once - to be adored
And there he was, a dashing being
Smiling on her computer screen!

The photo from his glory days
Had paid off in a major way;
At 45, he had deceived
A teen who wanted to believe.

One week later, she disappeared
The worst day of her 14 years
Lured by a predator online,
Naivety had left her blind.

Her innocence was stripped away
Her youth taken in just one day
She lived - and yet she also died;
Deep wounds she would carry inside.

For years, she would feel sad and grieve
And curse the day that she believed
A predator with no regret
For preying on the Internet.