Sixteen Years

Sixteen Years

Sixteen lines for your sixteen years:
remembering you, I am sad.
Youth stolen by an ancient soul;
you touched my life like no-one had.

The final choice was yours to leave,
to escape the pain few could know;
and now I think of you, my friend,
that day we left your ash to flow.

I wish you could have understood
your journey wasn’t over yet,
but I believe you’d made your peace;
I promise you I won’t forget.

If only you could take it back;
not end the only life you’d known.
I hope your heaven holds you close,
my friend, so you are not alone.