Once upon a time,
Before three children let themselves be women
There were mornings of blissfully burning eyes
From feverish conversations all night
The half revealed secrets
Of falling asleep mid-sentence
You plaited my hair more often than my mum even did
Midnight macaroni and cheese
Baring my soul under the stars
Make believe sagas of romance
Before a boy so much as looked in our direction
Wearing each other’s clothes and cooking together
Learning to structure a thought
The comfort of validation
The “I know how you feel” reassurances
When birthdays used to be big enterprises
When you used to cry at the drop of a hat
Days when the burden of the world was upon us
Unabandoned hugs that I have never hugged anyone since
Piggybacking on bicycles
Singing together, arguing about song lyrics
Having a crush on the same boy
Endless summers
Blink and you missed them winters
There was nothing I couldn’t talk about
With you for hours together
Without you for years together
Like animals that regenerate limbs
Might I amputate my adolescence?
For making me believe I will always belong
For the ones I thought will always be my anchor
Who are you now?
Who am I now?
