Numbers

Numbers (for a friend)
12-8-2008
Eighteen (and a half) years of breathing,
three years of living. Three years of knowing
you. One month of moving away. Three weeks
till I started an eight year journey of college.

5-31-2010
One year, five months, twenty three days
since I received a five a.m. phone call
with my 469 number at a 503 location.

12-8-2008
2,146 miles depicted by a jagged
8 inch line across google maps on my
15 inch computer. 300 dollars
I didn’t have for an economy flight
to comfort the loss of your father
too young to pass.

5-31-2010
I’m 20. It is your 21st birthday
this weekend. And today
is memorial day. I’m supposed
to remember the soldiers, the wars.
But all I can think of while working on
3 lessons, 65 problems of my
algebra homework is how you
have fought and braved more wars
then any other person I know.

I’m sorry I wasn’t there.