Goodbye Friend
by Elicia Propp

For every tear, there is a memory
Buried deep inside the heart of me
It took a death to bring them out
An internal battle it brought about

Looking back through the glass
A mirrored reflection framed in brass
I am the same as I was then
Back when I had my friend

Still lost, confused, and depressed
Yearning for that long awaited rest
Yet there are things that I have learned
If only I could've shared them before he turned

So many things I wish to say
To that boy I met one day
Beautiful both inside and out
Lord, does he hear me shout?

He passed from here all too soon
Never once was he a groom
Lord give him the love his heart needs
Please make it no longer bleed

I will miss you, my lost friend
Never knew this was the end
Close your eyes and hear that sweet lullaby
For I now have to say Goodbye.

Contributed by Elicia Propp

---

Dream
by Shauna Rangel

Time and again,
We're the best of friends.
You taunt my music, though
Your smile makes it ok.
Heads bowed close,
We share each other's thoughts,
Then look at the clock.
"Babies should be in bed,"
You tease me, laughing,
Though you're not much older than I.
As I stand in your room,
Looking over the disheveled mess,
Somehow, I know what is to come.
An overflowing ashtray atop an unmade bed.
TV rests on a milk crate,
And a lamp under your days-old flannel shirt.
It's all you,
And I know, soon, it'll all end.
Across the hall, you sit on my bed.
A bunk, so you can sleep there too.
"You really should be more careful,"
You chide me as you stack my tapes.
I chuckle, thinking of your own disastrous room.
Sitting beside you, I watch
As you tape more bows to my bedframe.
I know, somehow, that this
Has always brought you happiness.
As I watch you, tears well in my eyes.
I touch your leg,
Thinking the words that won't be spoken.
"You know I'll always love you, right?"
As you smile one last time,
I awaken,
And realize it was a dream.
Again.
The shine of the blue eyes,
The softness of the sandy blond hair,
The glow of the brilliant smile.
All that remains is a recurring dream
That ends in a tear.
A dream that came too late.

Contributed by Shauna Rangel

---