Melissa, Oh?

Today, I will admit I am a bit sad. One of my closest friends, my partner in crime on many occasions, is stopping by my house to pick up some of her things before she moves to Cincinnati this weekend. Things she left during craft days and bicycle days and writing days and painting days. Some days I wonder if she is my muse.

I met Susan in first grade, and we have had an amazing friendship. One of those that transcends any geographical distances, as was evidenced when she moved to Columbus, Ohio, for college, and I stayed here. We could go an entire semester without talking, and when we would meet up again, it was just as if we’d never been apart – albeit a few stories to tell over a few drinks.

After grad school and a year of teaching, Susan one day packed her things and made a split-second decision to move back here! I was ecstatic. We spent many days together last summer. I had a flexible schedule, and she had no job, so we would start out each day around noon with coffee and conversation for about 2 hours, and then meander down to the workout room at her apartment complex for some time on the treadmill.

She got me into writing poetry again. She got me on a regular workout schedule (well, sorta regular. I will admit that on some days the coffee stretched out long enough that we never did make it to phase 2 of the day.) She gave me my superhero name.

We had the perfect group of friends, a few of us that hung out a lot and enjoyed each other’s company perfectly. Then Ronnie moved away. And now he is coming back – about 2 weeks after Susan leaves.

But even last summer, even when things were perfect, I knew she wouldn’t stay forever. There was always that hint of her wanting to keep moving. She talked about New York. She talked about Cincinnati. And then one day, it was here.

I knew it wouldn’t last even as long ago as last summer, when I wrote this poem about her: