Goodbyes

 There’s an art to saying goodbye 

To those faded jeans you thought would last forever 
And a friendship that once thrived with a now long-dead version of you 
To the meal you obsessed over for a full two weeks 
Or a romantic interest that should have worked out 
To a song you swore you’d never get tired of 
And the connection that was nothing more than a lust-fueled addiction 
To that night you felt most alive 
Or the month you could barely speak  

It’s imprecise, as all art 

You are compelled to constantly relive these goodbyes 
Like when you spot similar jeans on a mannequin downtown 
Or when you bump into that friend at a friend of a friend’s wedding 

And when you scroll too far down to cheesy texts 

from your short-lived romantic pursuits 

And another night passes 
With you lying awake
Pondering if you should relish that meal again