By Katelyn H., TIWP Student

At 12 a.m.

the memories replay like songs

I don’t want to end,

the worries crowding my mind,

and the quiet truth

that this year is slipping away.

It’s strange

how people who filled my days with laughter

might slowly turn into

old pictures, faded messages,

and stories I tell someday

that aches a little.

Some of my friends

are walking one way,

while I’m being carried another,

and even though everyone says

that’s what growing up is,

it hurts more at night

when there’s nothing left

for distraction.

Still, maybe different paths

don’t always mean losing people.

Maybe it just means

we’re changing quietly,

like seasons do.

But the future feels huge sometimes,

and I don’t know

what waits for me there.

One moment I’m excited

for new beginnings,

and the next

I wish time would slow down,

just enough

for things to stay the same

a little longer.