Whether it’s in heaven’s warmth,

Or some unknown limbo—

I promise, we will find each other.

And when our spirits reconnect,

We will rest in the comfort of company.

Every ounce of sorrow will cease,

And you will know—I never forgot.

I have missed our simple routine—

Each walk, every embrace, every meal.

Even the moments that once irked me

Became the very ones I miss the most.

I will scour each horizon endlessly,

No matter how long it takes.

And when our souls reunite,

I will finally be whole again.

My fingertips grazed over the remnants of my younger self's dreams- a symbol of love and commitment, now a beacon of hatred and infidelity. To grow, I release it: the wedding band fell from my palm into the endless sea, taking the weight of my past and a hollowed-out piece of scrap metal.

I stood alone, and empty-handed,

Wondering where all of me had gone.

A once vibrant garden bathed in golden light,

Now dimmed and beholding wilted leaves,

Lost in the labyrinth of gardens belonging to others.

Had I given too much away this time?

I had intertwined myself with them,

Healing them with water and sunlight.

No person fended for my withering stems,

no one paused for a moment to see if I was parched

My hands, now bare

Once full of healthy, blooming vegetation.

Certain I will give no longer,

What I was equally worthy of.

For the flowers I've yielded,

Have left me a few seeds, I will nurture

assembling a new garden,

Where I can flourish.

When I am gone tell them that,

My favorite color was pink.

tell them that I never adhered to the

gender roles the world tried to pin on me,

tell them I lived my life the way I desired,

that conformed only to the standards I set for myself

tell them I walked the earth with open arms

for any soul that needed a warm embrace,

to hold someone who suffered criticism like bullets

society shot into our backs.

tell them I cared not for money or wealth

yet I yearned for the most magical love,

a love so prosperous and deep

No person could determine where my soul ended and where theirs began.

now, tell them that I lived as a lover, a writer, a companion

but most evidently, I lived as a leader.

That I led people to greatness,

I led people to their wildest dreams.

When I am gone tell them

I lived my life to its capacity and without an ounce of shame.

I grew up invisible,

I was forgotten by my name,

A word was once spoken infinitely

had been lost, never to be heard again.

You mustn't know what it's like,

watching as your birthday passes

unknown by society

like a wrapper underneath your shoe.

I always hoped once- twice even

I could wake up in a room filled with love,

arms ready for an embrace.

But you wake up in a home

where every nook and cranny knows your name.

You said you cared

but your words were charity wrapped in pretty ribbon,

kindness for your benefit only.

You don't see me,

you see yourself in the reflection of my eyes.

I crave to be cared for, not pitied,

To be cared for without begging.

Do you think your inconvenience

weight the same as my endless pain,

you could never comprehend

walking unwanted in every space.

My eyes peer into the darkness,

held by the cold sting of unshed tears,

while yours are kissed with warmth and love,

your face has not been touched by grief

which streams down mine each night.

You and I-

We are not the same.

We are stars in different galaxies.

Destined to never collide.