Member-only story
Goodbye, Hello
a poem on newness
She inhaled deeply at the longing memory of him, only to exhale a subtle goodbye, letting it hang all too heavy in the air for the next passerby to be hit in the face with its harsh intent.
She looked in the rearview mirror but only for one second before returning her gaze toward the roads leading to newness, leaving behind any trace of the past. Any trace of him.
She passed mountains, trenches, valleys, deserts, rivers and trees galore. She went on toward brighter days, reaching her next destination of pure joy. She had moved (on), finally.
She parked her car after hours of endless driving, mustering up her whole strength to keep onward alone, without a single glance at what (and thus who) she left behind after years of sleepless nights.
She no longer had to fake a smile when asked if she was okay, because for the first time in her life, she actually was okay — flaunting herself with a stunning new smile that was all too real, and it didn’t go unnoticed.
She questioned how to live this new life of hers in freedom, for she had not that luxury up until this point. So she danced. She swam. She jumped up and down in the puddles of Seattle. She let go of the memories that used to tether her to the past, wrapping itself around her as a chain of depression.
She looked up toward the sky as she inhaled deeply, and after holding her breath for five long heartbeats, she exhaled with an exuberant hello to her new life that was pushing her toward vibrancy.
She was free. And she embraced every moment of this newfound self.
she was free
