To The Ones Who Left

The moment you closed the door,
the darkness within me set in
the lights turned off; windows, closed
it was a cold, sad night of silence

The pain was slow and painful,
Like the loss of death was how your absence felt
but what stings more was the rejection,
knowing the person you loved has left

There were so many things to re-learn
how to be alone again, how to connect,
how to trust, how to warm up, how to find companionship,
how to build, how to grieve, and how to invest again in people

Some days I wonder if I'll ever get closer to someone again
the same way we did when we were young and unburdened
I picked up the pieces, reached out to ask for help
traced my path back, step by step, til I found where I was without you

And slowly, I turned to the other path
where there was only unfamiliarity and awkward work
needing to learn how to say "hello", to pick up the phone,
to do small talks, to ask to meet again, over and over again

Slowly, I walked out of my door more frequently
I said hello a little more confidently, let my guards down, got out of the covers
Slowly, someone else started to reciprocate
I breathed a little deeper, smiled a little wider, laughed a little louder

Pretty soon, the relationships I've watered started to grow
Started to bear fruit -- new friendships seasoned with practicality
Old friendships renewed and growing in places we never had
The void of you started healing until I could no longer find a scar

Before I knew it, I was soaring high with people who built me up
The winds were strong, but so was I
They held me down and anchored me deep into the ground
They never left or abandoned me even when I was cast down

And in the new road, I found myself enjoying, thriving
That when I crossed paths with you, the hurt was gone
There was only peace and even a little relief
That even without you, my skies still lit up at dawn