Once upon a time

Upon my stair wall, pictures once adorned,

Now gone, like you, from life you have been shorn.

Insecurity veiled your every gaze,

But too late, I learned your artful ways.

A reflection, too dim to apprehend,

I wish I'd known you better, my dear friend.

Insecurities, pretense, and disguise,

With hollow smiles, you covered your lies.

Yet, from this chapter, I find release,

A gallery devoid of your caprice.

For in the void, a truth blooms anew,

Without you, I rediscover what is true.