While You Forgot About Me

While you forgot about me,

I saw your face everywhere I went.

While you lived your life,

I lived in flashbacks.

While you got richer

I got on Medicaid.

While you bought a house,

I barely left mine.

While you slept like a baby,

I couldn’t sleep through the night.

While you forgot about me,

I didn’t forget about you.

While you got engaged,

I got sober.

While you got married,

I connected back to me.

While you started a family,

I created art from pain.

While you were unaffected,

I found purpose.

While you forgot about me,

I lived intentionally.

While you were chasing smoke,

I chased my own growth.

While you became complacent,

I found my strength.

While you lived like the hare,

I embodied the tortoise.

While you thought this was over,

I was just getting started.

Written by Amanda Durocher

8.26.25