skeletons in the forest by Larissa Zhong

Remember running from the top of the hill 

telling stories about skeletons in the forest, 

Years later you buried yours there 

and I never knew 

All I had was a pencil sharpener shaped like a house 

and a spelling bee trophy that didn’t belong to me 

What did I do to deserve you  

and our frozen yogurt afternoons 

I don’t remember if I said goodbye when I left you 

in the ruins of our childhood, behind our old school 

and forgot to look back 

I’m sorry I lost your number somewhere in this mess 

Has the henna faded from your hands 

Have the gold bangles rusted on your wrists 

It’s thirteen years later and you 

still haunt me like vines on broken bricks