How do you say goodbye to someone
That you never really had to begin with?

Sometimes I imagine
Peeling away the defenses you hide behind
Like plucking the petals from a flower
I want to see what's hidden underneath
Let me go on drives with you at 2 am
Listening to a radio station clouded with static
Let me ask you questions
About your childhood, your hopes for the future,
Your thoughts and opinions on everything
From religion and politics to tv sitcoms and pop music
I want to read you cover to cover like my favorite book
And when I'm done I want the floor of my car
To be littered with flower petals

In my mind you began as a sketch
A rough idea
Vague outlines
Over time you've gained dimension
Careful shading
Color slowly creeping across the page
I look at this portrait of you
And it's almost real
Almost
But not quite
Maybe with some more time
You'll let me close enough
So I can compare my work
Perfect it
Capture your essence
In acrylics smeared across a canvas
In my mind you began as a sketch
But I won't be satisfied until
You're complete

I like to think of myself as constant
Unmoving, like a tree
But, like a tree, I change with the seasons
And have very little claim to constancy