A couple of months a lot of my friends graduated from University, many of them leaving Ottawa indefinitely. I’m not good at letting go, so I wrote this poem to provide some closure and to help me process what was happening. I hope you like it.

Forgive me if I cling too tightly.
I just don’t want to say “Goodbye” quite yet.
And it’s hard for me not to fret when
Our future is filled with forks in the road.
But this metaphor implies that there are only 3 or 4 options,
Depending on how fancy your cutlery.
But in reality, the possibilities tip toe towards infinity.
I have to admit that it scares me.
Cause the majority of my options, omit you as a fellow traveler.

You have played a part in my life and I don’t want this scene to end.
I don’t want to lose another friend.
But this road has to bend.
Now you turn west and I turn east
And no longer will we feast in the potluck potential
Where we both bring our food for thought to the table.
This feels far too similar to the final supper.
And though, God willing, none of us are destined to be crucified in the morning,
Still I find myself mourning a separation that feels just as real as death.
But in the same breathe,
I believe that my master managed to moon walk his way out of the grave.
He bravely went down the one way street and came back again.
And though the curtain closed for moment, it was not the end.
So when it comes to punctuation,
The only periods I see come in threes, ellipses, dot-dot-dot, to be continued.
So perhaps this final supper is not as somber as it seems.
Whether we meet on Skype, in Heaven, or in each other’s dreams,
This goodbye doesn’t need to be THE goodbye.

I don’t want there to be any regrets, so let us break baguettes together.
Let us beget new memories, making mirth in this moment.
Let us defy despair with laughter louder than disappointment.
This pressing appointment,
This dance with destiny is coming far more quickly than I might like.
But that’s life.

And though our stories seem to separate,
We still need to step through the gate.
We are destined for great things.
And like the Fellowship of the Ring,
Sometimes sticking together just isn’t practical.
If we look back, our paths have been magical.

For an amazing moment, we shared the same journey.
Our future may be a mystery. This community might not continue.
But either way, I want to say “Thank You”
You have blessed me, even when I haven’t sneezed.
You have given, even when I didn’t say please.
These winds of change, this breeze keeps blowing.
But I believe that your heart will keep glowing.
Shine bright, no matter where you are going.
Please keep your heart on your sleeve showing.
And as you leave, may you leave knowing
That who you are has shaped who I am.
And for that, I am grateful.