You say goodbye when you’re sure
that there’s nothing more you can do,
when you’ve asked all your questions
and heard all the answers.

You say goodbye when you’ve tried
to get a little closer,
when you fought a little harder
and still the door keeps closing.

You say goodbye when you’ve stuck around
a little longer than you should.
When you were stubborn and feisty
and didn’t listen to what people had to say.

You say goodbye when you look at them
and they can’t see you,
when they stop caring,
when they stop missing you.

You say goodbye when they say it first
whether silently or out loud.
You see it in their eyes, in their actions,
you hear it, even in their most loving their words.

You say goodbye when you’ve tried to stay
but they keep pushing you away
because once you leave
you’re not coming back.

You say goodbye when you understand
that it should never be one-sided.
It should never be unrequited.
It should never be that painful.

You say goodbye when you believe
that one day you will meet someone
who makes goodbyes impossible.
Someone who enters with no plans to exit.

Rania Naim is a poet and author of the new book All The Words I Should Have Said, available here.