It takes a while for 
my memories
to return 
since not looking back 
is even worse
than falling
from the sky
with no hope of a smooth landing.
When I do,
meeting my memories
brings a smile to my face.
The monsters,
the witches,
no longer terrify
because they truly weren’t
what I was afraid of
to begin with. 
I know that now.
I will see them all again
someday. 
And if I see what I feared
again
I will see who 
I loved. 
Thoughts of him
always bring the smell
of the river
and a calming breeze. 
Once you met someone
you never really forget them. 
And we made a promise
to meet again. 

---

Elizabeth Hoyle lives in southern West Virginia. Her fiction has been featured in Bullshit Lit, Spillwords, and other publications. Her nonfiction and poetry have been featured in 433, Magpie Literary Journal, and Neuro Logical Literary Magazine, among other places. Find her on Twitter @ERHoyle or at elizabethhoyle.com.