Ghost
for my next act, I will vanish into the edges of all our photos
So, you want to learn to disappear?
You first must become a listening ear.
They’ll cry on your shoulder and go on their way,
And never ask if you need their time of day.
Step two is to fade, become one with the scene,
Slip out of their lives before they’re first to leave
Be vacantly happy, and smile on occasion,
Get used to the gnawing of social starvation.
Be the one to take photos, they never remember,
Watch their thoughts of you fade like a flickering ember.
Your warm touch on their lives will cool over the years,
And your laugh like a whisper of dust in their ears.
The third and next step is to weave up the loose ends,
Accept that closure won’t happen with childhood friends.
Weave the threads into sheets, soft and white as a cloud,
But as heavy as grief, it’s your funeral shroud .
Step four is to say all your silent goodbyes,
Cry the tears that you need to then mop up your eyes.
Pour a glass for the friend that you were, raise a toast
For the one you became, a blurred, living ghost.
About the Creator
M. A. Mehan
"It simply isn't an adventure worth telling if there aren't any dragons." ~ J. R. R. Tolkien
storyteller // vampire // arizona desert rat
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Comments (2)
This was so beautifully bittersweet, M.A. You perfectly captured the silent grief of friendships that quietly fade away. <3
M.A.? This was just so good! Mournful but in some ways, quite good advice. The rhyme makes it seem upbeat but it's actually quite sad in its tone as well as being matter-of-fact. You've combined this all to make it seem trite, even humorous and yet, there's a depth here from experience. Good luck in the challenge.