Just because a love was temporary
Doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.
And just because something didn’t last forev-
…Doesn’t mean it wasn’t valuable.
Friends come and go.
Lovers do the same.
Even hobbies don’t stick around forever.
However, each experience had a purpose, and
Each encounter had a lesson.
It’s like when you get rid of clothes that you love,
But which you physically can no longer wear.
They’re too beautiful to hang in a closet
On a bent wire hanger for a decade collecting dust,
Fading in color and warping in shape.
They deserve someone new,
And so do you.
Does this mean you hate them because you no longer wear them?
Of course not.
You simply outgrew them.
There was a moment in time, maybe millions
Of consecutive moments,
When those clothes fit you,
They flattered and complimented your being, and
It felt right, but
Eventually, you outgrew the faded denim,
the sheer shirts,
and the itchy wool sweaters with threads fraying on the cuffs of your love.
They began snagging on odd places,
Like your hip dips, midriff, and bruised lips:
The things they told you to hide.
Yet you likely stopped
Taking care of those clothes as well…
It went both ways.
They were lovely clothes
That once fit you perfectly,
You wore them to school and work,
to dances and hikes,
to beaches and fairs…
But things change, and that’s alright.
You no longer fit one another,
Yet it didn’t end hatefully,
Possibly there was some restraint
Or some fear of being alone,
But it ended (mostly) in peace.
Now you look back on those outfits
With gratitude and childish content,
While still understanding that
You may not go back,
Nor put them back on.
You could risk ripping them,
Or you’d be at risk
Of getting squeezed,
Choked,
Stuck
In your past,
Imprisoned in the shirt
That’s no longer meant for you.
Things don’t go well
When you insist on wearing old clothes.
When you continue
To pull
And tug
That shrunken sweater
Over your head,
Despite knowing
You’d both be happier
And healthier
With someone
New.
…The same goes for people,
For friends,
For lovers,
Who are the clothes we buy then give away.
The clothes we
Tear and tailor
Stain and scrub
Love and loath
Hoard and hand on.
You were given who you needed
At that particular moment,
It’s okay if it ends.
Juxtapose 