In Our Next Life

I first saw you in those younger days
When everything was yet to find its place
I kept a thousand words behind my smile
And carried them with me all this while

I found the courage, told you how I felt
You couldn't give the answer I had hoped
But somehow we began to talk again
And I was grateful for the friend I'd found

And little by little, day by day
You found a place I couldn't explain
I never knew that ordinary things
Could mean so much when shared with you

If only I could turn back time
I'd find you in those days again
I'd take the long way home with you
And let the hours never end

I wish you knew, I still do
I still remember every little thing
And if I had another chance
I'd choose to know you all again

Remember all those late-night conversations?
The silly jokes that made us laugh
The books we argued over endlessly
The little games I tried to teach you

The songs we shared, the words we borrowed
The things we thought we'd talk about tomorrow
You trusted me with pieces of your world
And I was proud to be someone you could turn to

I watched the days and wondered how you were
I cared about the things you never said
I never wanted to make you feel pressured
I only wished to be a little closer instead

But somewhere, something changed between us
The words grew fewer than before
I searched my heart for what I'd done
But found no answer anymore

If only I could turn back time
I'd find you in those days again
I'd take the long way home with you
And let the hours never end

I wish you knew, I still do
I never meant to lose a friend
And if I could have one more chance
I'd try to understand instead

That photograph from graduation
Two smiles beneath the summer sky
I didn't know that moment held
A thousand goodbyes I couldn't recognize

The last handshake, the last embrace
I wish I'd known to hold it longer
I smiled that day, I had no way
Of knowing when we'd meet again

And tell me, was there something I missed?
Was there a word I should have said?
I don't need an answer that is easy
I only wish I knew what happened

And even now, through all these miles
I still look for you sometimes
Not to ask you to return
Just hoping that you're doing fine

If I could meet you once again
I'd tell you what I couldn't then
That every moment, every year
Was something I will always hold so dear

I wish things could have turned out differently
I wish you'd given me a chance to see
What we could have been, what we could have shared
If only life had led us somewhere else

And if this life won't bring us back
If time has written different ends

I hope in our next life
We cross again...

Even just once.