The Price She Paid

At first glance, she seems so dated,
a creaky relic, antiquated;
but underneath the verdigris
shines something for modernity.
A simple beauty, sparkling bright,
one whom in other eras might
have been passed over (what a shame!)
had, in the teens, the biggest name.
However, after such a start
she let others steer her art;
on and off-screen intertwined
and her career was left behind.
She claimed to have complete control
but to three men she lost her soul
and sadly, faded from the screen;
at only thirty, a has-been.
A lesson calls back through the ages:
Whether earning fame or wages,
make sure your contracts are your own
lest others reap what you have sown.

Clara Kimball Young