A Happy Goodbye

The moment I waved and said "see you later,"
a sudden warmth filled my chest.
Even though it should have been a sad farewell,
why was I able to smile so much?

The time we spent together was short,
but every moment of it shone like a treasure.
The sound of us joking around,
the coincidence of laughing at the exact same time,
the way my heart felt lighter just by having you near.

That is precisely why
the final "bye-bye" echoed so gently.
It wasn't an end,
but a farewell that felt like softly closing a lid on a memory.

Because it was fun, there is also pain.
But I can accept even that pain
as proof of the time I spent with you.

That goodbye on that day
was bittersweet, yet strangely warm.
Surely, it is okay to have a farewell like that.