When the Fire Fades

And I was grateful you were there.

I thought we'd have a little more time,
More ordinary days, more memories.
But somewhere, words became silence,
And I was left with questions.

I miss the days when we could laugh for hours,
When little things could make the world feel ours.
I miss the friend I thought I'd always know,
The little world we built before letting go.

I don't know where we lost our way,
Or what I could have done differently.
But if those moments meant something to you,
I'm glad I lived them too.

For even when the fire fades,
I'm grateful for the warmth it gave.

Perhaps I spoke when I should have listened,
Perhaps my care became too much.
I'm sorry for the times I cared too deeply,
For words I couldn't say quite right.

I never meant to make your world heavier;
I only wished to make your days brighter.
I don't know where our story lost its way,
And perhaps I'll never understand.

I won't blame you for the dreams we couldn't share,
Or ask you to feel what wasn't there.
You had every right to feel another way;
I only wish we'd had a little more time.

I miss the friend I thought I'd always know,
But I won't ask the past to return.
For even when the fire fades,
I'm grateful for the warmth it gave.

I once thought numbers could explain
Why some hearts meet and part again.
But love is not a race to win,
Nor someone's worth a score to give.

I don't regret the years I spent,
The happiness, the hurt, the time.
I'd rather have known you as I did
Than never crossed your life.

If our roads should cross someday,
I hope we smile and find the words to say,
"How have you been? It's been so long."
No expectations, nothing to prove.

I hope your life becomes all you dreamed,
That all your quiet hopes find room to breathe.
I'm sorry for any hurt I caused,
And thank you for the trust you gave.

I hope you find what you've been searching for,
And happiness beyond every door.
Even if our paths don't meet again,
I'll wish you well beyond the end.

The fire has gone out; the night is still,
But I remember the warmth it gave.
It will never burn as brightly as before,
But I'm grateful that it once did.

I hope your journey is beautiful,
Even without me.

Four years beneath the same old sky.
Thank you for being part of mine.