The hallways feel like memories already.
Like they know we’re about to leave.
Lockers that once held secrets
now hold countdowns.
“Last first day.”
“Last exam.”
“Last time sitting here.”
We measure time in semesters
but growth in quiet ways
the confidence we didn’t have in grade nine,
the friends who stayed,
the ones who didn’t.
Graduation isn’t just a ceremony.
It’s the moment you realize
you survived becoming.
And even if I don’t know exactly who I am yet,
I know I’m braver
than the version of me
who first walked in.
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
