The tree near my house is no longer there

The library, the light of my life, has disappeared.

My school uniform no longer fits me.

The stairs I took to school every morning, every day

My friend that took my hand,

Learnt to read together, learnt to grow together

Has moved away like many others.

The toys I gave away, the clothes I left behind

The house I grew up in, is not mine any more

The first car I rode,

The streets I ran in, the shops in every corner.

The ice cream van, the little bookshop.

The charity shop with all sorts of vintage,

The lovely man that waved hello every morning

Laughed like no tomorrow,

My father that wiped all my tears away,

My mother that held me in my arms, no more.

I look in the mirror,

My face painted with wrinkles.

My hair coloured grey.

The world I've always known,

Changing in more ways than one

Running a race I can't keep up with,

I think of the life I've had before and

Part of me wishes for it back,

Longs to see the familiar faces.

And part of me is glad to have reached so far

To have won the battles and survived drops of hell.

Part of me wants to stare at the stars all night long

Even when I know I won't be able to reach them

No matter how far I hold out my hand.