Foreword

This poem is about the realisation that a friendship is a due closure, whether it’s to create a more positive environment for yourself, or whether it’s just the passing of time. The imagery is deeply rooted in the natural transition from winter to spring, referring to personal growth and maturity. I feel as if the movement to adulthood comes with the personal permission to understand when you’re ready to opt out of something, and I was thinking about that as I wrote this piece.

The end of the year

my leaves crumple

and coil inside their structure  

it is time to wither, she says

i do not stop her

for i have withered time and time again, my sunshine stifled with the memory of hurt

i am now dust, she says

and the memory of her seeps through heavy skin

and i think that it might be okay to drift for a little

to allow space and stretch

to compose my selfish nature and take back my feelings

so one day

as the ground blooms

and as the girl blooms

i can say goodbye

Kat Albiston is a poet and writer.

@poetfolio