Don't look at this as a poem
Because it doesn't hold the depth or breadth
Of passion and emotion contained within a poem.
On the contrary, this is just a series of free-form thoughts
Scribbled onto a page.

To begin, I remember that first time
That I caught sight of you,
And you know as well as I
That it would be a lie if I said I wasn't taken.
But, I've always found that beauty isn't the jewel in the crown,
That it's what's found inside that brings happiness alive.

It all began that second time around,
Your first tower day, mine to be around you,
The first time that I got a breeze of who you are,
And you were a fresh gust of life, an amazing sight,
Even if my guess set you years too young.

As time has moved across this summer,
You've never ceased to inspire wonder in every way,
Watching the depth of your personality bloom the more I knew,
Bringing with it an increased maturity and age,
Changing the view and altering the light
In which I perceived you, this magnetic girl.

Bringing me to the "and now" part, as our days have wound down,
As you're being drawn along towards the door
That leads you out of town, city, and state,
I realize that I've only seen the summary
Compared to all there really is to see of you,
And I hate the thought of what I'm missing out on.

When all is really gone and said and done,
I barely know you.
I've spent hours with you in the tower
Guiding you towards new responsibility,
But that's not fully me or you.
Being tied to this mentor-mentee formality
Has slowed my feet in regards to you.

So as you go off to bigger and better things,
Remember, that if you ever want to get to know me,
That I'd very much enjoy the opportunity to know you better,
Possibly at some point when you come home this winter.

With all that said, know this,
That becoming friends with someone as smart and caring, as compassionate,
- not to mention goofy, silly, funny (read genuine) -
as you,
Is the greatest gift given this summer.

So with this fall, I wish you luck - the best of it,
Though I have my doubts that you'll need it
Seeing as how successful and able you've been
In every walk of life you've met yet.

             With all that,

                            Best Wishes,

                                                       ...