All through my childhood, I pictured him--

a vibrant and lively young man, a shock of hair blue as the sky.

I would imagine this man--

guitar in hand, ready to serenade his love,

an infinity of opportunities and happiness before him.

The times changed; I found myself drifting,

hopeless against the swell of the ocean,

its heaving motion led me into the darkness.

Electric hues faded to grey,

and his eyes lost their shine--

and so did mine.

In 4 days I will be 16 years old, and I am nothing like he was.

He shined so bright in my mind's eye like a star,

but he was carried away in the storm.

Maybe one day, as the driftwood reaches the shore,

he will return and join me.