Friend!
I haven’t seen you in years. You are a human I know, real and physical, but I haven’t seen you in years. And it’s funny? Because I saw your selfie in that Instagram post on March 14, 2021 about the springtime and reawakening and soiled masks appearing from beneath the snow humps. I saw that selfie and realized I’d forgotten about you — not on purpose, and not thankfully so. You were my friend over there! Overseas, over baklava and tea. I used to be so grateful for you, and now I’m grateful all over again since I remember you. Fuck. I haven’t seen you in years!
What are you up to? What’s new? I never saw you getting into politics — I figured you figured it had all hit the shitter, your cynicism was always in the air around you, full of laughter and tannins. That was always strange to me — that you could carry positivity and negativity together, pin both in your hair, and remain radiant. I didn’t agree with you on everything, but I liked disagreeing, and can you believe I haven’t seen you in years?
Lord. What are you up to? I’m alright, in case you’re writing a similar note and planning to spill coffee on it. Mundanity is trying to seep into me always, like sap. I shave it off and flick it off the balcony. Shit — I hope I’ve never dropped it on the Asian family on the ground floor. They always wave to me as I get in my car to go driving, to go places by myself. I have an apartment now. So yeah, I’m alright. You’ve lost weight.
You’re real. And I still follow you, apparently — wow! To think of all the scrolling, and I haven’t seen you or anything about you pop up. Jesus Christ. We were all the way over there, you know it? No way our footprints are still there — they blew away that very night, I’m sure of it. We felt them go. We talked about that — the whole impermanence thing, how we might be Buddhist and not know it, as if it’s genetic.
Are you alright? I hate that I forgot about you. Fuck. Who else did I forget about? Did you forget about me? Please say yes, or no — say no. I don’t know what I want you to say. But I’m here, and now you’re reminded just in case, just like Instagram reminded me about you. I hate social media.
Please keep growing and stretching and unfurling, you sail! You stretch of canvas. I’ll remember you again soon. Hopefully it takes less scrolls this time around. I’m alright, you’re alright!
- old friend
