scrape the remnants of my soul off the walls of my childhood bedroom

and pour them back into me, so i may wander the halls again

let me touch the frames of the doors and imagine myself back here

reaching heights no greater than the doorknobs and windowsills

allow my gaze to trickle down the stairs,

where i find the deepest comforts in the orange-colored walls with faded wood trim

this is where i could stay forever

please keep me here to revive my spirit

let me stay a little longer

i’ll let myself sink back into the carpet

and drown in the warm lights that bathe me in nostalgia

as i am washed in this dreary peace

i began to feel who i was, seeping through the specks of dust

she’s still here, but she is no longer me.

i know what this means

but i don’t know if i can accept it

i’m only a child.

i don’t think i’m ready to let go just yet

so instead, i’ll sit on the porch and try not to look behind me

back at what is no longer mine,

and let these hazy memories say their goodbyes to me

i will never stop trying to come back

but even if i am welcome, no one else is here

nothing else remains

only me.

– tay naz