whether you like it or not...

It’s crazy how you think you’re going to be friends with a certain group of people for the rest of your life, and then somewhere down the road you drift apart and you end up barely knowing them at all. You used to know their deepest secrets and their favorite foods and colors, you used to swim in their pool when it was too hot out, and their parents nearly became your parents. You spent your childhood building forts and running through the woods - avoiding growing old. You don’t remember when, but suddenly you got busy, maybe with school or sports, and you didn’t frequent those forts as much. The simple things grew a little more dull and less entertaining. Hanging out down the street in the summer sun became more tedious, and you started seeing each other less and less. Until now the experiences you all shared with each other are just memories that formed your childhood. And unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be friends like you were because you have new best friends - who might be better friends for you in the long run. And these best friends that you just made a year ago are leaving, and you’re heading for different states to study new things and meet new people. And it’s terrifying, because you’ve dealt with the loss of friends before and now you have to go through it again. And your best friends might change, but you’re pretty sure these are the greatest people you’ve ever met, and they’ll be there for you for the rest of you life. And you’ve sworn you’ll grow insane if they do leave, but you have to cherish the moments. Those simple moments of sitting in the car, smiling. Or laughing at the silliest little things, or telling the funniest joke you’ve ever heard.

You’ve realized that time does not move as slowly as you used to think. You can see the age on your mother’s face now, and that’s absolutely horrifying to you. You’re legally an adult now. Remember that time you thought thirteen was old? And of course, you’ve realized that your path crosses with so many different and interesting people, old and young, and you’ve realized that you must take advantage of every single opportunity with these people. Because you have a lot less time than you thought on this earth. Happiness and simplicity is all you need, and luckily - though you’ve lost some people in your life - you’ve found that. And I think that’s the best feeling of all.

(Jace-ist.tumblr.com)

What remains?

Childhood is gone,

And youth,

And ties with people I have loved are broken now.

My grief is more than I can easily contain.

My grief builds this town anew,

And raises all the dead

To walk with me this day.

What’s left?

My future seems nefarious,

Drained of mystery,

Known in my bones.

Most of all, what I will miss,

Is the extravagance of my entire future,

Stretched out before me,

Like a highway in the desert,

Waves of heat rising up, wrinkling the air.

I weep for what is gone.

And I weep for myself.

And I wait for the future.