i went to your town and saw
all the bright lights flickering. everything’s just for show.
the sun’s warmth will be something that makes me forget how
the night breeze froze and broke me into pieces.
i saw the mailbox and how it was flooded by the letters you sent to me.
you are but a phantom in my life and i was
a buried treasure you had to return in a fog.
you used to run free in my mind, but now you’ve faded into a blurry line.
i had once longed for the tip of our hands intertwined, but now i can only visit your shrine.
i kept walking and hoped i could sense your scent from afar like how it used to be.
you were small.
we were small, and the playground where we met was
replaced by the sight of concrete walls.
i daydream about the way you caress my arm as we drive through your city.
for years i fantasized about your voice as it sings the song of an unfamiliar goodbye;
your voice when it sings my name;
your voice when you gave in and told me all of your problems—
how now i wish i could dive into the depths of your mind.
tomorrow i will leave this town. i will leave you out of my heart.
this old town will vanish with time
and i’m not sure if i would savor every fragment I could gather.
you were once all i needed to live,
and now i’ve forgotten your voice, your face,
your scent—
so I’ll run. this town isn’t mine.
it was never mine anyway.