I Knew You Before

I knew you before
When strawberry curls shaped your face
You showed the world that women can be strong
And girls can grow up to be brave

I’d heard your laugh before
You knew all the right things to say
Naturally, everyone could believe
Everything would be okay

I saw you before
But life makes us feel chagrined
Thinking we have the time
To see each other once again

If I just close my eyes
I can see you standing in the doorway
Back on October 31, 2005
Saying, “Your costume looks cool, by the way!”

Your voice broke through the noise
In a new place with so many new faces
You made a 15-year-old girl feel welcomed
Through your beautiful grace

Over those years of fleeting moments
Your kindness shaped me as a girl
And helped me to grow up to be a woman
With a measured sense of the world

It doesn’t all seem so long ago
It doesn’t seem like enough time
Your sun has now set on the horizon
And I’ll never understand why

The last day I saw you
We may not have said goodbye
But I’ll carry you in my heart
As the rest of my days go by

Ever echoed in bittersweet memories
May you remind me of such serenity
Of a treasured time not long before
It was lost to the sands of eternity