The live's I've lived

Poem #193

As the final bell rings and the last assignments are handed in. I look around at the adults that I've known for the last 14 years and the daunting realization that this is the last time we will all be standing in a classroom together dawns on me. Everyone's in a rush to get out, but I need a couple more seconds to memorize everyone's faces. My best friend grabs my hand, and we wander through the halls that we know all too well. We see the grade 9's, 10's and 11's all excited to be leaving. I wonder if they know how fast it goes by how just yesterday, I was grabbing the same girls hand, terrified to start a new journey. We stop at our lockers as kids rush behind us. I want to yell slow down, but instead I place my palm on the metal and try and thank it for being there. I try and tell it to be nice to the next grade 9 that takes my spot. I can't help but think our childhood is over the four-year-old kids, who could barely sit still are now going to go out and make something of themselves. I can't help but think the kids I grew up with will just become memories that maybe just maybe they'll forget how to say my name. From kindergarten graduation to eighth grade graduation now to high school graduation. I wish someone had told me to slow down. To actually fully breath in the moment to actually not grow up. As I start to cry, I grab her hand and let go of the metal door that has become a part of my existence. We walk through the halls and down the stairs. We take one last breath knowing we're leaving so many people behind, knowing we're leaving our childhood behind. We push through the doors and start our new journey, the same way we started our old with our hands, gripping onto each other in fear that this might be the last journey we will take together. We get into my car and try and hold our breath so it last longer we wait till all the cars pull out and stare at doors we just walked through for the last time. And as we pull off, I watch in the rear-view mirror as the school that used to be ours disappear.