The Name I Used to Answer To

i think the sky remembers 

the day i left. 

the clouds looked heavier, 

like maybe they didn’t want me to go either.

i didn’t take much, 

just a jacket, 

a song stuck in my head, 

and the name i used to answer to.

i walked until the trees forgot my face, 

until even the wind stopped calling me back. 

the sun set five times before i cried,

 and even then, the moon didn’t look.

somewhere between then and now, 

i stopped trying to get anywhere. 

i just keep moving, 

like maybe home is waiting 

at the end of the world.

sometimes i dream of a window 

with rain on it, 

and hands that know how to hold me. 

i wake up before it gets warm.

but it’s okay.  the road hums me lullabies, 

and the stars don’t ask questions. 

not like people do.

Written: 2025