On Taylor Swift’s folklore album, the song “betty” tells the story of a teen boy who lost his sweetheart when he made the mistake of chasing after another girl. Welcome back to my poetry journey with The Folklore Chronicles.
Elfie & Glinda
dear former friend,
what could have been of us? Two girls sitting
by the pool under moonlight, nothing but the stillness
and chirp of grasshoppers as we whispered our secrets
to one another.what if I could go back in time and undo the damage of
immature lack of understanding and fear. Fear that your
truth would bring my own shame to the light.
I used to sometimes drive down the street, past your old
house, listening for the ringing laughter and singing.
But it’s just quiet now, nothing but the rush of traffic
from the main street nearby.anyway, all this to say, I miss us still sometimes. I wonder
what would happen if I showed up on that old porch step.
would it take me back in time and patch what broke?
would you want me to?your best friend
forever,
the poet past tense
Considering the Wicked reference, I think I first wrote this when the movie musical came out in theaters. That story always brings me nostalgia. One of my best friends and I in middle school were obsessed with it, and we’d always “put on a play” in her backyard, singing these songs at the top of our lungs.
I hear the song “betty,” and although it narrates a tale of a boy and a girl in love, I feel the end of an important friendship also garners a similar heartbreak. I still see myself and that girl as Elphaba and Glinda, a friendship that seemed like it could never break, but then ends abruptly.
Swift’s song talks about regrets and wanting to undo mistakes, and I sometimes find myself wondering if I could go back, would I? I think a lot of people feel that way, but ultimately, we cannot change the past. And usually I find myself realizing that even if I could, I wouldn’t. Because the heartbreak and loss played a necessary role in my growth.
Thanks for coming on this poetic journey with me. We’re coming close to the end, and then what will be next? I don’t know. But thanks for being here anyway.