Joshua Tyler Merrick

They say love is as strong as death.

I'd give my soul to understand such ignorance, for death bestows no strength.

A life is taken, a piece of someone's life is taken.

Hopes and dreams forfeit, a heart no longer beating.

The strength life gives is perished, the composure and emotions of who and what's left behind, fall to the ground.

Two questions ring like an old dial phone, filling your mind with a noise you'd rather not hear. The sound of goodbye.

Why and where?

Why them, where have they gone?

Ring 1.

Ring 2.

Ring 3.

Ring 4.

This calls for a breakdown.

The idea of eternity, the concept of heaven and hell.

Faith leads you near and far, but where have they gone?

To believe is all you can do.

To wonder, i cannot help.

The name echos.

A light fades.

Tears fall.

Joshua Merrick.

My childhood was amazing because of you.

Central Texas in the summer heat.

Feet pounding through the dirt, a path leading the way.

Mesquite trees giving way for stolen plywood, old houses giving way for stolen carpet.

The miraculous 3 story tree house, the way we used to tease cody and meagan.

The stories about chuckie, the hate we had for brother bentley.

The never ending adventures to the dam and the bike trails we kept up.

Wood piles and clovers

Stolen sheets & flashlights.

Clayton Jacks. Jerika Atkinson.

The time we broke into the old dilworth house & lied and said we found everything we had stolen, buried in the woods.

Middle school came around and you were busy with soccer, i was busy with my friends.

Everything changed.

Highschool just around the corner & you moved.

Not far, but not close enough. Because i'm writing this.

Writing this knowing you'll never read it, writing this because i have to get it all out.

Writing this with regret to the fact that i never called you up, never once tried to get ahold of you.

I\'ll never look at childhood, the outdoors, nor life the same again.

Life has thrown it's hardships and things change. Some for better, some for worse. People change.

But the memories on Aspen Lane & Birch, never will.

I'll remember you always. You'll be with me everyday.

All i can do from here is believe.

Believe that it's ok to wonder, and believe you're in a better place.