I Give My Thanks
To the eldest woman in my life
There and gone like the peppermint scent following her everything
To the brother I never got to meet
Never seeing the world, but always watching over
To the grandmother who collected animals like stamps
Who lost contact with me because of a silly mistake and a dog fight
To the future maid of honor at my wedding
A beautiful and strong woman I never want to lose
To the first boy I loved
Keeper of my secrets, forever my friend
To the girl I believed my friend
Later to reveal herself as a toxic b****
To the correspondent in Australia
A boy in written words, but a girl looking for attention in reality
To the jokester beside my chair
Who’s smile spreads across the silence of the world
To the chaser of all men
A former friend I wish stayed around longer
To the boy who pulled me from the darkness
Oceans away, and yet made the biggest impact of them all
To the teacher who stuck around through everything
Forever grateful for her influence throughout my life
To the girls I slowly departed with
Scattered around the world but only a click away
To the first boy I kissed, but not the first loved
An a** in the end, but nothing I would change
To the children trusting me to keep them from drowning
Always forcing a smile even when I most hate to
To the girl with pom poms in her hair
Tears and smiles leaving an impact every waking day
I give my thanks to these people in my life
Who despite the ups and downs they put me through
Created a person I’m happy to call my own name.