It almost doesn't make sense
You were a stranger,
Until the last months of your life.
In a way, you were like the forest
Tall, Sturdy, Strong

And as the drive continued,
I noticed
I noticed the parts of the forest most ignore,
The parts that were burned down
Destroyed

Those parts faded into the background
Like your pain
And no one knew
Those parts were burned
Burned and broken like the silent parts of you
The parts no one could see

Now that it was in front of me, I understood
It wasn't you

You didn't take your life
This world did
They made a mockery of your heart
And the peaceful mind you had
They lit fires,
They cut you down

But you,
you taught everyone a lesson.
A beautiful one

I've never blamed you.
I was hurt,
never angry.
This world had cut you down.

But I want you to know.
The best part
Of this drive
Of this forest
Was that even though there were trees that had fallen
Most stood tall.

And though you're gone now,
Your memory still stands
Tall, strong, sturdy
like the trees,
in the hearts of the people's lives you've touched.

For that, I love you.
And I miss you.

Rest Peacefully