I have a lingering suspicion that fate is no mere folly
that every soul to cross our path was always meant to do so
whether for a fleeting moment or a lifetime

For are we not the sum of those we have met?
A melody gifted by a friend, a phrase borrowed from a colleague  
a manner of dress inspired by a cherished companion
beliefs once foreign, now woven into the fabric of our being

And so, I do not doubt that meeting you was ordained
though it did not conclude as my heart once wished
Yet, as I relinquish the remnants of attachment
I find that your language, your culture, remain
not as burdens, but as gifts that have made me richer still

Still, I am jealous
for I am not yet done learning
not yet done unraveling the depths of who you are
There is more I wish to know, more I wish to understand
but fate, in all its cruel wisdom, has deemed otherwise

And though I have learned some parts of you
the way your cheeky smile betrays your mischief
the way your laughter sneaks into the quiet  
I will miss the constancy of it
the simple comfort of your presence woven into my days  

Thus, I am grateful for all who have graced my life
the joyful and the sorrowful, the laughter and the tumult  
For each has left a mark
and in my heart
I hold a deep and unwavering gratitude