Photo by Natalia Lee
Dear School,
I remember when we had a good relationship.
I was young and naive when we first met; always open to the world you would show me.
You
were the main event in my life
for years.
12 to be exact.
When the time drew closer to decide if we’d stay together, our relationship had already begun to grow weary.
We knew it was never made to last.
Opportunities for the Infinite laid pamphlets on my doorstep while you tried to convince me every night that you would change—
And maybe a part of me believed you.
I tried to leave even before our time was up but your words were so convincing, begging me to stay—
so I did.
And when the days moved closer to our end, the weather seemed colder than it should’ve in June. I was 18 then.
I stuck to my gut, took the leap, and left you in the same spot we met except this time I had the papers to prove we were no longer together—now,
your words have no matter.
And if anyone told me otherwise, I could brandish those papers right in their face and tell them our time spent together was not in vain but meant to show me the truth of what I really wanted and that—-
wasn’t you.
I won’t apologize because it didn’t work out. It wasn’t my fault.
And I don’t want to blame you either.
See, you
have boundless potential.
It is those who dare to control you, that make it hard for learners like me
to stick themselves in a room made only to push out copies of themselves.
I won’t blame you, no.
We had a good relationship.
One that was never made to last.
And I’m grateful for the time we spent together,
finding ourselves falling in and out of love, all along the east coast of things.
Thank you for the memories.
Thank you for the things you’ve shown me and thank you for the things you didn’t show me.
I wouldn’t be where I am because of you.
And even though it didn’t work out between us,
I’m kind of glad it didn’t.
I hope you are too.
Love,
An old friend
Kindergarten 