Goodbye My Friend
By Michelle Elizabeth McKague
I never knew how much you meant,
Until I faced the thought of life without you.
The idea of not having you around,
Broke my heart in two.
I never loved you the way you once wanted me too,
But I loved you in my way.
You have a spot in my heart,
That’s yours and yours alone.
We’ve been friends for what seems like forever,
Since we were young and foolish.
So many moments we’ve shared,
So many of life’s milestones.
We started out back in high school,
Hanging out between classes.
I remember all the laughs we shared,
All the stories we could tell.
We had our problems back then,
A difference of opinion.
You wanted one thing,
And I knew it could never be.
For a while things were tense,
It wasn’t so easy to be friends.
But we worked through it,
And came out of it okay.
I couldn’t give you what you wanted,
And for a while you couldn’t let it go.
But in time you came to see it my way,
And found what it was you were really looking for.
I think back and remember,
All the times we shared.
Laughter and tears,
And everything in between.
Remember the weekends with friends,
And all the fun we had?
Remember how drunk we’d get?
And all the silly things I’d do.
Remember that awful night,
Where I wondered how our friendship would survive?
I was cruel and you were stupid,
And it all seemed like it might end.
But we came through it,
With a few harsh words and strained silences.
We said what had to be said,
And went from there.
We haven’t always agreed,
Or approved of the choices the other might make.
But we’ve always stood by one another,
And been there when a friend was needed.
On that dark week in February,
You stood by side when you were needed.
You gave me support,
And received a slap for your efforts.
Our friendship has been built on so many things,
So many different emotions.
We’ve grown together,
And yet, grown apart.
Now we’re at a crossroads,
Perhaps it’s time to say goodbye.
I don’t know how to do it,
Don’t know how to let you go.
Part of me wants to fight for our friendship,
Yet another part of me isn’t so sure.
I wonder if maybe we’ve run our course,
And our time has come.
Sometimes, by trying to hold on,
You tarnish what used to be.
So maybe it’s better to let go,
While the memories are still sweet.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to a friend,
Especially one so dear.
It’s harder still when it’s not fate that separates you,
But our own free wills.
You’ll still be in this world,
But not in mine.
Our lives will no longer be on the same course,
And that thought hurts deeply.
I know that I’ll think of you often,
And remember all that used to be.
I know I’ll miss you often,
And wish things could be different.
Still perhaps it’s best to part like this,
Before the memories turn ugly.
So, my dear friend,
I’ll do this now,
I’ll say goodbye.
