this i know
you're leaving
leaving for a new stage
a new life
being just a few steps behind you
i can't even imagine what you'll face
except the warnings
and the stories we've all heard

Cincinnati has held you
swaddled you in itself
whether you liked it or not.
the people here have surrounded you
loved you
even if you weren't aware

this is scary for you
this new huge place
with same-sized people
filling it all up
but guess what?
it will swaddle you too

sometimes things work like that
if you love life
and i know you do
life will love you back
no matter where you are

Chicago is stealing you from me
with all its culture
i know you'll fit in there
you'll walk, live, and breathe there
just like here
but with the added element of growth
one of the most beautiful concepts
that can ever be thought of
happening inside you

you're tinted with this Other place
so now, naive as i am
i have equated you with the Windy City

If i ever go there
find my way there
you'll be in every face
and every door way
watching and laughing