"Small Changes"

by Kristy Schroer

We felt so grown up then,
I in my pink dress and you in black lace.
Our hands clutched the armrest tightly
as glorious music permeated the air.
I wondered if anyone could tell your
mom had dropped us off.
Remember how we'd sing our favorite lyrics
for weeks afterward?
(we still do, sometimes)

Time passed -- things changed
So did we, but we changed together.
Playing with marbles and hiking on
your hill.
You understood me when I felt like
no one else did.
And gradually I began to
understand you too.

And time continued along.
There were some new adjustments.
It wasn't always easy.
We had a band-
but only one practice.
We began to realize we might not
make it to Europe.
So we settled on Mexico instead.

And so we're here -- not four years later.
But I feel like you've known me forever.
Who would I be without you?
Thank you for girl's nights, for dancing
in the street, for poetry in the library at lunch time.
Thank you for listening and caring.
Thank you for being my friend.