I left first. 

Said my goodbyes 

Tied it all up in a bow 

Driven away and left it behind 

–Scarcely considered it since 

Coming home 

on pot-hole riddled interstates 

Broken AC, baking alive 

Golden, late afternoon sun blinding me 

–I tried not to cry 

Each mile brought me closer 

To what I hadn’t been willing to reconcile 

The memories I’d carefully wrapped 

Words so fragile, the might break 

–Returning to the graveyard 

I couldn’t face it. 

It was the first time 

–The first time 

The last time, I was with you 

Coming home 

Past the old neighborhood 

I lived and I lived and they tore out the bush that mom always hated 

And I swam in that neighbor’s pool two days before I graduated 

The flower shop is closed. 

It shouldn’t be this dark and I shouldn’t be so alone, 

I remember when we went to go watch the track kids race 

You could have aux, I want you to have aux 

I can hear your laughter in the fabric of my seats 

We burned papers on that practice field 

Hugged before we dissolved into tears 

Threw caps, zipped up each other’s gowns 

Piled in this car, I can hear us talking now 

Keep going, 

Past the courthouse 

We’re running, tossing frisbees,  

I’m complaining I’ll be sunburnt 

You’re sliding on your butt in duck duck goose 

We’re running loops until we’re dizzy, 

Cracking up about river monsters and stone 

It smells like champagne glasses and snow 

Trails behind the college 

Inked into my brain 

Who were we then? 

Are we them now? 

Escaping into the mountains 

Driving into work watching the sun rise 

It is all the same 

It has never been the same 

Let’s go to the parkway 

Let’s go hiking, run Cade’s Cove, 

Stand under icy waterfalls 

Eat hotdogs and smores 

Jump into the river 

If I jump, will you jump too?