Written in December, 2024

First, she left Chengdu, her roots entwined in rain and spice. 

Grandpa’s wrinkled smile whispered, “be happy, no matter where life leads.”

Through tear-streaked windows, she waved goodbye, 

the scent of home faded into the horizon– 

it was her hometown she sent away.

Upon graduation, school halls emptied, echoes lingered. 

Friends drifted, petals on a spring wind, 

their promises like cherry blossoms, fragile and fleeting

Outside, trees shed their rosy blush– 

it was her memories she sent away.

High school brought harder goodbyes, sharper edges. 

Expectations loomed, heavy as storm clouds. 

Her favorite subject, once alive,

sank beneath textbooks and deadlines– 

it was her passion she sent away.

Now, grown, she’s fluent in parting words, 

her tears long dried by time’s unrelenting tide. 

No more clinging to shadows of her younger self. 

The girl was replaced by maturity– 

it is herself she sends away.