They said I talk like I swallowed the sky,
like stars slip from my mouth
when I'm not looking.

But I never noticed.

I was too busy counting cracks
on sidewalks,
too busy hiding the sparkle
I thought didn't belong.

Turns out,
I was made of glittering things.
Not loud, not showy,
just soft-spark stardust
in messy hair
and tired eyes.

And maybe,
that's magic too.

We were four,
a balanced kind of chaos,
laughing in even numbers.

But now,
it feels like three voices
always reach the other first.
Three steps ahead,
three inside jokes,
three plans whispered
just loud enough.

They say, "It's just for now,"
that I'm still one of them.
But even when books are closed,
their world keeps spinning,
and I'm left
outside of gravity.

Sometimes I wonder,
is it them who've changed?
Or have I?

I love being their friend.
I love them.
But I hate being the silence
in a room
full of noise
that once included me.

Some days are harder than others
But as I watched the fading
Sunlight this evening my heart
Is filled with warmth and love
Just thinking about you.