QueenBee

I realized recently

That there’s the family you don’t have a choice in -

Your biological parents, siblings, cousins -

And then there’s the family you do.

The family you share no blood with

But choose anyway.

We hung out under a tree

The day they all left

Lost and alone

In our own heads

Someone forgot their hoodie and came back

And I ran to them

Yelling their name

Tacklehugging them

Needing them back.

I reach over

Maybe for the last time

Knowing it could be the last

Makes me latch on

I can't pull away

I won't

You tighten your grip and I tighten mine

Pulling me close to your side

Something has changed.

Forever.

I can feel that it has.

My reality has shifted so completely.

Back to where I started.

You were so real under my touch -

And already I can feel the memory slipping away.

My head is a busy place.

There's always a ton of thoughts zipping around,

Trying to organize them and failing.

There's always a song stuck in my head

Because I live with music

In music

I embody it.

N0w

We clapped.

We celebrated.

We read off paper plates of all the good qualities.

We ate bagels.

We had streamers.

We spent two hours setting up beforehand.

We had a mini parade and my body was numb.