Young Writers Society

I.

"Are you there"

Has never been so tough a question

Until I met you

I know I've made my promises

Broken a lot

Yet kept so few

But this one thing I've got

Believe me,

It's one thing I'll hold on to

"I'm right behind you"

Is what I always say

It never mattered

whether I was a few steps back

Or one mile away

I think both of us knew even then

I would follow you anyway

And this where the important part comes up

Maybe it's the part I say my excuses

Maybe it's the part I stay behind

Maybe it's the part you go ahead

Either way

"Are you there"

Will have an answer.

But the answer won't be the same.

II. 

"Are you there"

Had never been so tough a question

Maybe it never was in the first place.

As much as I want to say I'm right behind you

As much as I want to walk the same pace

I know that in the end

Your road is not my road

And at some point

We're bound to go separate ways

I think I knew this long before

Perhaps right from the start

You can blame this one on me

Me and my stubborn heart

The road wasn't big enough for two

It's thin ice that's bound to crack

You can blame this one on me

Me and my heavy pack

Perhaps I carry too much sorrow

So much that I cannot move ahead

I know you say I should lighten the load

Perhaps leave a few things from here and there

But how does one leaves pieces of her heart

For a road that cannot bend?

"Are you there"

Had never sounded so much

Like "are you still with me"

And as much as I wanted to say I am

I know that cannot be.

III. 

"Are you there"

Had never been so tough a question

And it was tougher even

If a few were brought to mention.

"Are you there"

Becomes "Are you still with me?"

Then "Are you still with me?"

Becomes "Why did you stop following?"

However, the saddest of all,

The words worthy of a flooding

Is when I answer

"I'm right behind you"

Followed by, "Go on without me".

It was presumptuous of me

To even ask

But of the two of us

You're the one who could probably go

As far as without looking back

So please, if I call out your name

And ask you to come pick me up

Please do not answer.

Don't answer, as I won't when you call mine.

Don't answer, as I won't even when I'm far behind

And I know you'll be still be silently asking

And I still silently following

Never let it be known

That there was ever a question

Worthy of an answering

Where "Are you there"

Sounded so much like doubt

I believe saying I'm right behind

Was far worse than having without.