"just be strong for me..."

the world has started, and here i stand, sit, lay in its wake, clumsy and aloof.

i hold onto your t-shirt and reread the letters you gave me. i dream about you and how we would have moved to some place even warmer. i paste your smile on every thought i have. i remember how you sang along to alkaline trio and made fun of highway signs. i still sit seventh row center at movies with an empty seat at my side. your cat only looks at me when i cry. the ring you gave me is still on that chain around my neck. the post-it notes marking your favorites will never leave my journals. i warm my hands on the candle we shared. pictures of you are still on undeveloped film. i still feel your hand in the small of my back when i cross a street.

without your inspiration, i wouldn't be half the person i am today. without you, i surely would have fallen. without us, my world would have stopped.