By Briana, 18, Class of 2013
It’s crazy how life goes.
One day it’s there, the next it’s gone.
There’s no time to prepare for the unexpected,
You just have to take it and move on.
Have you ever lost something so valuable and precious,
Something so fragile and delicate,
Something so irreplaceable,
Such as a friendship?
Well, I sit here and try to press rewind,
Playing parts of my life that I can
Recall over and over and over in my mind.
And now I’m left to wonder what our futures would’ve been like.
What if your best friend was taken from you?
The one you could run and tell secrets to,
The one who wouldn’t judge you,
The one you got so used to seeing everyday that you two became one like glue,
How would it make you feel if you knew that what was already done couldn’t be erased,
And you were stuck remembering every single trace?
Feeling open and vulnerable to anyone who could patch up a scar left so deep
All because your best friend had to go to sleep. Permanently.
Everyday I walk and talk and play and pray like everything is okay, but I am in pain.
Storms that come my way are beating me down, making me want to rip out my veins.
I smile, sort of like an innocent princess, and then toughen up like a quarterback,
But let me tell you something, I am in pain.
I toss and turn in my sleep, nightmares about people leaving me and beating me.
I am in pain.
Nobody could ever be me.
I am in pain.
Go through what I go through and still live day to day.
I am in pain.
My strength is a blessing, and I cherish every waking moment I get through,
Though I am in pain.
Would you be able to hold bricks on your shoulders
And still walk straight with
Your head held high with no debate?
I am in pain.
I am in pain whether you see it on the surface or underneath the ocean blue.
But let me tell you what I’ve gotta do.
I’ve gotta sit back relax and enjoy the ride
Because my life is just now getting on the road.
In a couple of weeks, Briana heads to the University of South Florida, where she will major in biomedical science.