You left without knowing you were leaving,
no last message,
no warning in your voice.
One day you were there, the next,
you were only in my habits.
You were never just a friend.
You were a brother I chose,
a teacher who corrected me gently,
a shelter when my thoughts grew loud.
I trusted you with the parts of me
I never named,
because I knew you would understand without asking.
When you went,the world didn’t notice but I did.
Every silence echoed your absence.
Now I hesitate before believing,
I double-check every smile, every promise.
Trust doesn’t come easy
after it leaves wearing a familiar face.
I laugh less freely,share less honestly,
because losing you taught me
that even home can walk away quietly.
If you ever think of me,
know this your goodbye was never spoken,
but it taught me what loneliness sounds like.
And I’m still learning
how to live without the voice
that once felt like my own.