And then I carry on.

We sit down to have a conversation.

I sit with a cup of tea warming my cold hands,

You smile and laugh through the pain weighing you down like a heavy shroud.

We talk about a lot of things.

The songs that found you exactly when you needed them.

The ones I’ve listened to thousands of times.

The times you thought it’d be easier to stop, to run, to hide from the demons instead of looking them in the eyes. 

Those days you spent in darkness, with fear buzzing through every cell. 

The walks you took without any direction, hoping for better in the distance. The fact that you kept on going so that one day, you could meet me.

I tell you it’s lighter now, with the stones you carried turning to diamonds one by one. 

You, who I was in the past, who fought to the death so I could come back to life. I thank you for every moment you’ve struggled for the future we’re going to share.

It’s come to the end. Crumbs on a plate, tea long gone. 

We weren’t meant to meet for long.

A final nod to who I used to be, and then I carry on. 

Original image creator: Clem Onojeghuo