Yes, this poem has come much too late,
And I hate to say that you've already met your fate,
But it seems that your soul took the bait,
and wrought a trail of tears on its way.

I remember our days back in kindergarten,
We spent our time playing during recess,
And I remember your birthday party with a bright yellow pinata in the back yard.
I remember that small toy turtle you gave me,
I remember your gentle kindness, even for a child,
And I wished that our friendship would last forever...

However…

That was back in kindergarten and schools separated us in elementary,
Until I had the chance to meet you again in 7th grade.
No, we never became as close as when we were kids,
But it was a past relationship that stood solid on our eyelids.
We never forgot,
We acknowledged each other,
We respected each other,
Like good friends did.
And I was fine with just that.

And then, a few years would go by and I'd finally hear the news…
(one of the last to know, might I add.)
That you had grown sick, too ill to leave the hospital bed,
And the thought of the true name brings tears to my eyes to even think of.

Yes,
I made it seem like it was nothing,
I carried on just fine,
Like it was no big deal.
But I'd never told anyone how much I was truly worrying.
(But there was also a part of me that “knew” that you'd make it through.)

Six months past,
And we had good laughs,
You seemed like you'd get better, you really did…
But one day, out of the blue, you caught a cold.
Which lead to a lung infection.
And finally, it was enough to bring you down.

The next thing I know I was told the news while going to lunch that day,
Four of us were told by a friend,
We sunk down on the stairs, our appetites gone.
We were brought to a room in the back, all four of us in tears.

I remember the stark white walls reflecting cold light on a dark table, which was surrounded by my friends.
The four of us joined them, we immediately slumped down on the floor and cried.
We hunched low on the ground, never dared to show our red and puffy faces.
When I looked at the faces surrounding me, only a few were actually in tears.
The only thing I could think for the next hour was;
“How are you not crying?”

I distinctly remember one of my friends coming to sit by me and another friend,
The three of us cried together for a while,
and we could not go back to class for the rest of the day.

It's almost been 4 months since that day.
Only four months.
And it never fails for you to cross my mind at least once a day,
And every month on the 14th, I always think of you.

I know this is late,
But if i'm being honest,
I was really hoping to never create a piece about you.
However, I don’t think I can get over it if I don’t write something.
**Forgive me, my friend, for it seems that I’ve always been a little late, am I right?