'forget about the things that weigh you down'
he said
'and fly away'
he spoke as if he was not a prisoner
as if he were not shackled to depression
stuck on hopelessness
addicted to false relief
committed to failure

blind to his brilliance
his potential
his worth
held back by a false hope
the idea that freedom can only be found in death

impulsivity
alcohol
and misery
proved to be a fatal combination
and one gunshot took away everything

gone is the intelligence
the talent and wisdom
the ease of his company
gone is the understanding smile
the homemade turkey burgers
and the smell of listerine and cigarettes
nothing to look forward to
but silent Jets games
weekends with mom
and a hole in the rest of my life
always something missing
always something that’s not quite right

gone is the comfort
the safety
everything i thought i could always rely on
and everything that could have been
what did you mean by flying away?