I. i remember how you sat next to me
in the backseat of her car
as it sped down the highway.
we smoked
out of a sparkly pink bowl, watching our cares
disintegrate as we blew
them out the window.
i remember pretending
to look outside so I could watch the way
you collapsed into yourself 
as you exhaled your last hit. 

II. i remember the way you reached for me
in your sleep that night, and
i whispered that i loved you
because i knew you couldn’t hear me. 

III. i remember the day i saw you
for the last time. i walked you to the bus stop, 
waving goodbye long after you had disintegrated
into the horizon. 
i sat by the side of the road and
cried because it was then that i realized
you take the happiness you bring me
with you when 
you leave. 

IV. today, i forgot how long the
drive down
that highway becomes without the
anticipation of seeing you
to keep me company.