tender words don’t sting, gentle words hardly stab, or jab,

for you and i have walked the paths, together, sharing each other, the magic and the drab,

now though the time may have come to part, i respect you, for you have always been true, a woman of substance, through and through,

and so as we weave and traverse the alleyways of life, looking perhaps for a fresh start,

let us be gentle, kind, tender, to each other, before we depart,

leaving behind memories that don’t tear, feelings that won’t scar,

memories of moments spent together, between the pain and smiles,

and know this, i shall always carry within me, a part of you, however near you are, or far … … …