I walked in alone.

Unaccompanied.

Escorted only by vivid memories

of you, and echoes of your laughter.

The reggae enveloped me

and the beat stirred my heart.

I missed you then, more than my every day

I-miss-Attika swings…

With a ferocity that brought forth a spring

of tears and erected a concrete wall of resolve

to not break down in front of strangers.

You see, I walked in alone.

Unaccompanied.

Escorted only by the thoughts of you

that dance through my day, my mind,

and echoes of your friendship and love

that enveloped me

and saved my heart.

But that seems like so far ago. Days away.

Today, I walked in alone to listen to some reggae

Tears fell, shoulders sagged, and realization hit…

It’s never going to be the same. Ever.

I will always have reggae, and through this,

I will always have you.

But that is not enough.

I’ve bade you goodbye a million times

in my dreams, in my nightmares,

in my heart, in my dancing,

in every sense possible

that holds my memories of you.

This is the longest goodbye.

I let reggae in tonight,

and it broke my heart all over again

with whispers of you all over it.

This is still the longest of goodbyes.