strangers

and your life will go on
& so will mine
& you will be a surgeon
& i will be somewhere
& soon we will be distant memories
or perhaps not at all

the girl you shared a hostel twin bed with one night in panajachel
& the whispers will be forgotten & the notes misplaced
& so i'm inking it to make it real

how we watched rick & morty while the room gradually emptied
how you kissed my forehead & my neck
& talked endlessly of malcolm gladwell's theory of trust.
how you learned english by reading 1984
& love historical fiction novels.
how you wanted to be a doctor so that other kids could always feel cared for
how i couldn't get words out sometimes
but you didn't seem to care
how you were gentle.

your heart is as brilliant as your mind
& i hope you shine in this life,
i do.