" I can ride my bike
with no handlebars"
became the anthem to my childhood
growing up
pipe cleaner pigtails
chubby round cheeks
that flashed and became
a permanent fixture
on my face when I smiled
I believed in you
wild hair sympathetic eyes
you were my light skinned cousin
but you were where my hopes
and dreams lay
until you chopped off your hair
and decided that wearing a bra
was totally overrated
that melancholy 90's juice
was a thing of the past
that painting technicolor
rainbows
and pining for boys
who'd never love us
was so immature
then you started dip dying
your roots pink
and sticking your Victorian nose
in mortuary science
and moved to Washington
and forgot about me
the distance killed me
I never told you
that for a straight week
I kept a cautious eye on
your Projectplaylist
and recorded each
and every song
important to my heart
that each and every time
I viewed your art
it restored in me
some kind of faith
I felt you slip
you fade
into some bleached
face contrasted photo
on Facebook
until you were no more
just a ghost
devoid of emotion
a paper bag
floating on the outskirts of town
a shame you vanished into thin air
but oh well
that's life I guess
you wanted to be a boy