the peach stand at the end of my road
sweet, sticky peach juice dripping down my chin
the biggest smile you've ever seen filling my face

these are summer nights for us
sunlight until nine pm
streetlights softly clicking on as we walk home,
barefoot and happy
we were young then

what happened to this feeling? those nights?
why is growing up synonymous with forgetting?
i don't remember my best friends from school anymore
or how the smell of my mom's perfume made me feel safe.
i can't recall the way summer nights felt,
and my birthday doesn't feel special.

i don't want to forget the only things that kept me alive,
the only things that filled me with joy when joy seemed to run short.
please, i can't forget yet