Atoms of a memory

I met you in Grade Seven’s light, A friendship playful, bright. We laughed, dared, got in trouble too, Moments I thought we secretly knew. You cheered me up when I was down, Even when the world seemed to frown. “Atoms of your body,” you once said, A silly line that danced in my head. People shipped us—I didn’t mind, A tiny hope grew in my heart and mind. But time pulled you away, formal and new, While I felt tangled in stress I never outgrew. I thought maybe we’d feel the same, But today I learned another’s name. Chess games lost, spectators in air, You laughed, guided me, showed care. I won a contest, unseen by all, But your smile shone bright, my only applause. I’ve mourned the hope, the “what if” lost, Yet the light you gave stays in my mind, at a cost. It’s mine to keep, not his, not theirs, A spark of self, beyond all cares. I don’t need him, I don’t need his gaze, My atoms shine in their own brave blaze. Yet even as I hold this light inside, A quiet ache still lingers, hard to hide.