Jude Christian

I found this poem/letter that I wrote to my friend Jude. He was 21 when I was 15 and he made quite an impact on my life. Everytime I look at the tree he planted in my parent's front yard I pray that he found what he was looking for.

Love, where have you been?
I’ve waited for such a long time to see your face again
We both know you didn’t let me down
Because sometimes we all make promises we just can’t keep
And now, I feel I should thank you
For what you helped me to see about the world around me
And I know that you meant well, but you left me to fend for myself

I remember that rainy day when you opened the window and let all the water come in
The sun was shining down on your face and you said, “This is how it should be”
You looked at your hands and said, “Just you, me and the rain on a sunny day”
At that point I couldn’t imagine loving anyone more
You said that nothing could take you away
But before the summers end you were gone

You taught me so much about life
You helped me to define myself
You pointed me to God although you weren’t sure
who or what He was
You played me U2 songs that I had never heard
And told me that I should love them forever
You taught me how to be a vegetarian and to be kind to all of creation
You said I needed to be kissed but that it wouldn't be right for it to be by you

I stood alone as I watched you leave my life forever
Everyone else had gone back inside and I wanted to be the last thing
you saw as you drove away
You said things wouldn’t change, I knew they already had
You turned around and told me not to cry because it would break your heart
I smiled through my tears and tried to contain the sob that was caught in my throat
I blinked and you were gone

It seems like yesterday, when you brushed the hair back from my eyes
You said I shouldn’t hide the fact that my eyes are pretty
Well, do you think my eyes are pretty still?