Goodbye To You

Goodbye to you. 

Goodbye, Dear Friend. Goodbye.

Goodbye love unknown. Goodbye potential happiness. Goodbye. Goodbye.

You teased my heart. You fooled my mind.

You carefully constructed a beautifully ornate oak bridge over the murky waters flowing between friendship and happily ever after. You took my hand against my will; you pulled me onto the bridge…and then you left me standing there, my hand extended, clutching mist.

When I looked a little closer, the bridge I once thought so fairytale-like was actually built out of Popsicle sticks. It was fragile and breaking. As it cracked and split, I looked at the dark waters. In them I saw a rapidly flowing river of jumbled, lost letters—the “L” desperately sought the “O, V and E,” but drowned beneath the “I and E.”

I felt the fool, but True Friend says the only fool is you for not seeing what stood before you. Whoever belongs beneath the dunce cap is of little importance. What’s important is how easily you threw a real friend to the sharks with no lifeboat, no way to escape.

Like so many times before, you failed to realize how strong I actually am. I can befriend the sharks…or I can beat the sharks. My choice. You didn’t really think I could swim with them, did you? Perhaps you would’ve saved me at the last moment, just so you could be some poor girl’s superhero. Well, you grossly underestimated the toughness of my heart, of my soul, just as I misjudged your true character. Sharks can’t get near me, darlin’.

So, stay. Stay on the almost happily ever after side of the river, and I’ll stay with me.

Maybe love will finally befriend me. Maybe she will continue fighting me. Maybe one day someone will see me for me. Maybe not. But at least I’ll be with the three people who love me just as I am—me, myself, and I.

I’m finally ready to let go. I’m finally ready to say goodbye…goodbye to you.