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Girl, I know you miss your boo, trust that he’s watching over you,

Sometimes life is so unfair and this time it came for you,

Searching for so long, on your own for too long,

One dud after another, some worse than others, seemed like the universe was clowning,

Then he popped up from out the blue, swept you off your feet, like in them romance books,

Ticked every box inside out, from his character to his charm, to his interests, in addition to good looks,

But beneath the surface a silent killer lurked, a ticker problem, probably genetic, only Lord knows if or when it would go berserk,

That’s what he said, but promised you needn’t worry and to just enjoy the present,

Take it day by day, no need to feel dismayed, in the end all will be ok.

‘Til one day when it wasn’t, the beast within struck,

Claimed him just like that, y’all were together just a few months, surely it wasn’t long enough,

Talked about a happily ever after during that span, a life as man and wife planned,

Exchanging rings and ‘I do’s’, living on a farm, a simple life, raising a kid or two,

Then fate intervened, brutally snatched your other half,

Your reaction visceral but expected, praying and screaming out loud like an animal wounded,

Your tears flow ceaselessly, enough to raise ocean levels,

Gestures and words of comfort seemingly unnoticed in the throes of grief and mourning,

They say there’s someone for everyone, you found him, in that regard you’re a lucky one,

Better to have loved and lost, as the saying goes, perhaps a silver lining if ever there was one,

Farewelled him in style, the ceremony befitting one as beautiful as he, but the funeral starts once it’s over, what to do with all this grief?

You say you’d peaked, that life will never be better, no more fairytales, it’s over, you had it, now it’s gone forever,

He’s up there in the clouds waiting patiently before you join him for eternity, but for now do try to get on, trying though it may be, it’s what he would have wanted, for you to live happy and stress-free,

Up to you whether or not you open up to another, some unions remain unbroken even unto death,

But his story and legacy, now they are yours to tell,

Be his historian, keep his memory alive, a love like yours can and should be shared,

If nothing else consider it a form of healing, never know how many lives you’ll be touching,

For now take your time, it’s a marathon and not a race, life is what you make it, continue to fill that album, know that you were loved, carry it with you, he’s watching from up above.

Another day over, wish it never happened,

Been this way for a while now, sick and tired of it all now,

Haven’t yet reached teens, four Christmases, still, before sweet 16,

Barely out the starting blocks, or so it would seem,

Should have had hopes and dreams like all others still precocious and keen,

But the ride been bumpy for too long, just want to get the hell off, reassurances go unheard, drowned out by the strange and absurd,

And so it happened, another one left the building,

Nothing short of tragic, bet they never saw it coming.

Never a good day when another commits to that permanent solution,

Doubly so when victims are mere children, too early in the day to be kicking buckets,

Hard for one to judge, no clue what they’d been through,

Some may see the proverbial light while demons got others in a vice,

In this case, reminded once again of the destructive nature of others,

No pain like friends turned into enemies, dangerous creatures they can be, for they know you most intimately,

Taunting, hazing, deliberate malicious contact, spreading rumors on campus and online, nowhere to hide when they attack,

Teachers won’t do shit, parents can only do so much, feeling lost and confused, unseen and unheard, anxiety takes over, why go on further?

That final act got ‘em scrambling and panicking, regurgitating excuses,

Never meant no harm, just having fun, if they’d known they would have stopped,

But is it harmless fun, bringing another down? Getting high at another’s expense? Scarring ‘em and shoving ‘em beyond that proverbial edge?

Then there’s fake friends just along for the ride, jumping ship to the other side, taunting, hitting and spreading lies, such betrayal an insidious crime,

Now they’ve done an about-face, overwhelmed by guilt, too late to show remorse, ‘sorry’ is an empty word,

Speaking of her now in reverent tones, only after she’s long gone,

Could have told her this before, their dark hearts have been exposed,

Are you still having fun? Are you all happy now?

You got your kicks while she paid for it, were the cheap thrills even worth it?

To the departed, fly high in the sky,

Free as a bird now, too pure for this life,

The pain may remain unhealed, but your loved ones will carry on,

They’ll ensure that your essence shines on,

Eternal torment to the perps and culprits, death’s no laughing matter now, isn’t it?

Save your tears, crocs are better actors, can’t turn back the clock, suck it up and live with it,

Good luck washing away the guilt and shame clinging to you like a great big stink,

Nowhere to hide once put under the spotlight, collectively y’all took an innocent life.

It was the best of times, those first ten trips ‘round the sun,

They say perfection’s non-existent but this sure was a close one,

Yours was charmed to say the least, you’d surely won the lottery,

Spared from life’s miseries, all was fine and dandy, mostly,

Roof overhead, food on the table, clothes on your back, you had all that,

Playtime, gaming and cartoons outside of school, had you a chest full of toys, felt luckier than other boys, you were that dude,

Books by the ton, messing about with your homies, trips to Wonderland, interstate then overseas, Disneyland during early teens,

Those prime years, eighth, ninth and tenth, the definition of carefree, keeping your room clean and your grades pristine seemed your only responsibilities,

Thank God Mom and Pops cared, went out their way to raise you good and proper,

As a lad you wouldn’t have known but it wasn’t easy keeping the foundations strong,

Now that you’re full grown you learn the truth all along, the good life born out of love from your grown folks,

They say one only wants what’s best for their little ones, give ‘em what they never had coming up,

Yours kept you out of Struggle Street, from all forms of trouble and corruption, moved you to a land of opportunities, to a life idyllic and hassle-free,

Though they played around with ya, when they weren’t keeping you in line, surely life’s stresses were never far, dawdling in the backs of their minds,

They, too, shared the good times, looking back, also, with a shared fondness,

But while you got the lion’s share, they enjoyed only half or less,

Couldn’t have asked for better, really, you gotta hand it to ‘em,

Should the day come that you don their boots, hopefully, you’ll do your best, too,

So you best keep ‘em in your prayers, walk with ‘em during their sunset, surely their sacrifices were worth it,

You’d been blessed many times over, Boy, gotta pay it forward.

Another victory, another conquest, they’re calling you the best of the best,

Feeling untouchable, invincible, no one’s knocking you off of your pedestal,

Pushed yourself day by day, paid your dues and kept your peers at bay,

Surveying your kingdom, sitting pretty atop the exceptional and gifted,

Better bask in your glory now, it’s all temporary,

Nothing lasts forever, you acquire losses, eventually,

The standouts aren’t immune, sooner or later your hallmarks to greatness wither away and fade,

No ifs or buts about it, Father Time gives but also takes,

Then there’s your competition, you fended off the majority, now here comes the next wave, passing the bar you’d set previously,

You push and you push, trying to stay ahead like before,

For a while you hold your own, before they shift into another gear, leaving you in the dust, just as you’d feared,

You’d already reached your ceiling, it’s built solid, for you unpassable,

They’re leaping over it, no shame in it, there’s always someone better,

Doesn’t diminish from your legacy, without it there are no standards to be passed,

You set the bar, earned their respect, sit back and relax,

But here’s another fact, the torch must be passed,

No one holds onto it forever, only ‘til another comes along,

Look to the mirror, that’s your competition, forget about the others,

In the end it’s you against you, their admiration are merely byproducts,

Go as far as you can, do your best for yourself,

No such thing as better than the rest, who wants that type of pressure on themselves?

Lift ain’t no race, certainly not one based on comparisons,

Leave that to the birds while you build your own kingdom.

Down to the last few weeks, tenth grade drawing to a close,

Not quite the end of the road, still a couple of years before the final boss,

Nevertheless, junior high’s ending, formal just around the corner, final exams beckoning, prior to graduation,

PE Class on a head-start, a test of life-saving skills at the local pool,

Two days of drills, everyone had a go, an afternoon pool party was the reward,

For teachers and students alike, for a brief period they were equals, some splashed about, others baking under the sun,

In the midst of it all, Brett and his camera did the rounds,

Taking a few snaps, Lord knows what for, yearbooks done and dusted by now, but only the committee know anyhow,

Asked some to smile and pose, quite liberal with the candids,

God help ya if you’re acting out, guaranteed he’ll capture that shit,

Finally met his quota for the day, Brett puts his toy away to hang with his mates,

They stood by the pool, a decision Brett would come to rue,

Maxie Wilkins splits from his tribe, they were camped near a fence

He’s heading for the facilities, had to use the gent’s,

Upon exiting he trudges back towards his homies, but from the corner of his eye catches an opportunity for mischief,

Spots Brett by the pool, chopping with his boys, with a glint in his eye charges at ‘em like a runaway horse,

Beelines for the target, shoves him into the drink,

He was quick as lightning, the victim barely had time to think,

Embarrassed but unbowed, fuelled by vengeance and rage,

Brett springs from out the water, sprints towards his attacker, that fool gotta pay,

Takes a spill along the way, skins his leg but barely noticed it, nor the laughter from his fellow pupils,

Took Maxie unawares, talk about returning the favour, on the grass they tussle, limbs flying in all directions,

Quick as a flash they’re the centre of attention, the jock against the geek,

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” they’re screaming, like the audience from some talk show on TV,

The brawl is on before the teacher’s intervention, demanded an explanation, Brett fired up without hesitation,

“He pushed me in the pool in all me clothes!” said he, resisting the urge to curse,

“It was just a joke,” retorted the other, “didn’t mean to hurt him!”

Teacher wasn’t buying it, heretofore combatants ordered simply to keep their distance, their last taste of leniency before exams come knocking,

Off Maxie goes to rejoin his crew, laughs and high fives all around, while Brett finds his boys, soaked but strangely proud,

Blood ran freely down his leg, his uniform’s a mess, yet he gallantly fought back, had to be proud of that.