This is called ‘diplomat’ #fyp #poetry

Do you remember that feeling when you'd get picked up from a sleepover? Your parents standing there at the front door of your friend's house. You step outside, wave goodbye, crank the screen door shut, your eyes heavy from too much laughing, not enough sleeping, and answer questions about your night like a diplomat. It was good. How about you? Can I go now? It's routine. It's clockwork. Do you remember that feeling when you were in high school on a cold winter evening and you'd wake up in your bed after falling asleep doing homework? It's dark outside, your mom's cooking dinner, you can smell it. You peel your eyes open, sit at the table, and answer questions about your day like a diplomat. It was good. This is good. All done. Can I please be excused? It's routine. It's clockwork. It's boring. You miss it. Do you remember that feeling when you spent your first night away from home? Not a sleepover, actually away from home. You moved out. Your bed is different, your comforter's new, you're too old to miss your mom, but you do anyway. You make friends, you have fun, you're grown up, your phone rings, and you answer those questions like a diplomat. It's been good. Everything's real good. I'm gonna let you go, okay? It's different. It's strange. You cry when you hang up the phone. Diplomats cry too, right? Do you remember that feeling sitting down across the table for the first time with someone new after you thought you'd find your only someone but now they're gone? You're starting over. The bar is loud. My day was good. How about you? Thank you for the drinks. Like a diplomat. Do you remember that feeling when you were all grown up or as grown as you've ever been but not as grown as you ever will be? The air gets warm, then cool, then cold, then cool, then warm again. Life happens upon you in a million little, do you remember ones? And remembering comes in little bouts of pain, even when the memories are good. And what's crazy to think about is one day, you'll say, remember when? And the sentence will finish where you are right now. And even though it doesn't feel like it, this will feel like some weird version of routine clockwork. You'll miss it. You'll want it back. And continue about your day. Like a diplomat.