I wish I could tell younger me how lonely it gets here.

I want to tell her we never stayed friends with D, or C, or M.

Life doesn’t work that way, apparently —

we drift apart into our worlds.

I wish to tell her I am scared and have her give me some dangerous optimism for the road.

I desire those fantasies that don’t fit the mold of reality.

These days are made up of closed chapters and grieving lost relationships —

I do grieve and mourn for my heart when it has to make heart wrenching choices.

Didn’t I see those growing up, or did it become painfully obvious as the years passed?

We drift into our stories.

It makes me feel alone at the pattern —

losing and winning.

I feel alone.

You’re simply saving yourself, it whispers to me.

Uy is a poet and writer, her works typically exploring the themes of self, identity and love in a constantly changing world. A hopeless romantic at heart, she seeks to leave a reminder of a “beautiful world” even with its complexities; we can only wonder why. Writing since age 7, Uyemhi would often say the universe chose her to pick words and a pen as forever friends.