I’d give anything right now 

To eat an oyster at that little bayside cafe 

In Plymouth, Massachusetts 

 

Or to drink another bottle of Limoncello  

While on the “private beach” of Sorrento, Italy. 

 

I’d give anything to be in the passenger seat 

Of a yellow Mustang, 

Going a little too fast on Highway 90, 

 

Or to be in a rundown tattoo parlor, 

With a little too much confidence  

And too little impulse control 

Where the neon lights illuminate the cold concrete 

Of the parking lot,  

And broken glass colors the pavement.

 

I’d give anything to feel the burn of a  

Midnight Marlboro Cigarette, 

With each puff, the embrace of a warm hug. 

 

But now as I look back 

I know that the toxicity 

That comes with impulsivity 

Is not worth 

The lies, the danger, the tragedy 

That clouds every memory. 

 

I know now that  

I probably wouldn’t order the oysters,

And the Limoncello wouldn’t be as sweet. 

I would never get a tattoo.

I would rather drive than be in the passenger seat 

 

Because you can’t replicate memories, 

Or feelings, 

Or the way your friends were before  

They were no longer friends.

You can't forget trauma, 

As much as you’d like to try.

You can’t outrun change, 

You can't deny growth.

 

And for that,  

I will not give anything.