remember

emma federico

Art, room 216 was our haven. It

Brought us together in that insecure time.

Crumbling beneath the masks we had always

Depended on, we told ourselves that it’d

End someday. We confided in one another,

Finding solace for the first time. I

Guided you through those toxic relationships and

Hellish days, reminding you that your appearance

Isn’t everything. It’s almost cliche, how we

Jumped together at ball and struggled to

Keep our composure on Graduation day. Remember

Laughing until our jaws ached? Remember how

Much we cried in those never-ending nights?

Now it’s harder than ever to speak,

Our conversations stifled behind the screens of

Phones. You said we grew up too

Quickly in June, the flickers of youth

Running from our grasps. All of the

Stories we made, both fiction and nonfiction

Take a place in my mind preserved

Underneath your name. All of the paper   

Versions are gone, corrupted with time. I

Wonder if I’ll ever be able to

Express how much you mean to me.

You and I have bloodless kinship, safe

Zones that still linger. Do you remember?

Emma Federico is a freshman at the University at Albany. She is an English major and intends to minor in Creative Writing. She likes to read and learn different forms of writing. She also loves to explore stories and music in all kinds of genres. In the future, she hopes to continue to delve into different forms of art and enhance her writing skills.