𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬: "Fragments of What Once Was" by Michelle Piquero

 

Layout by: Michelle Piquero

Published by: Michelle Piquero

Date Published: October 17, 2024

Time Published: 12:35 PM

Category: Prose

Subject: The weight of holding the memories back together.

Did your life become easier when I got out of the picture?

 

It's been a while since we stopped to be in touch with each other. I wonder—do you ever experience having a nostalgia for what we could've been together?

 

Because I do. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

 

Have you ever thought of telling me the funny thing that happened on your day, only to realize that we don't talk anymore? Does the place that we go to before create a remarkable impact in your life wherein you can pick the fragments of my soul as a pang hits your chest whenever you hear my name?

Do you ever wonder at night, thinking of what could've gone wrong? Those lingering moments where you get struck by questions, your '𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧𝘴'. 

 

Have you moved on completely, without those recurring thoughts?

 

Because 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯'𝘵.

 

Things have changed—maybe it's better this way. Not having contact with each other, not being reminded of the love that could suppress the fire I buried just so it would not rekindle. 

 

Not reopening the old wounds—not stirring up the past.

 

In spite of all this, I hope that by not reaching out, I am giving us both the space to heal from the things that wounded us—words that run through and broke our souls.

 

That made me wonder, How can we go from knowing everything about someone to not knowing anything at all?

 

And that's when reality struck me.

 

We're back from being strangers—a stranger that I know from the back of my hand. A stranger who I will forever miss. 𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.

 

In the cold nights that shiver through my skin, between my thoughts, you're still here. And I hope that you're always doing well—𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

 

You and I almost made it.

 

𝘈𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵. But never.

 

And if the time comes that we walk on the same paths again, I hope that the bittersweet memories we had became a reminder of a memory we once lost—𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴.