She didn’t go to the punk show

with her girlfriends that night

because of Ben

and she didn’t feel like going to the movies

the next night

because of Ben

We didn’t see her around the pub as much as we used to

because of Ben

and after a while we didn’t see her around at all

because of Ben

She moved out of the pink apartment building we all lived in

because of Ben

and when we would call her new place

on the other side of town

to invite her out

she’d always say no

because of Ben

She grew out her hair

and dyed it blond

because of Ben

and we didn’t find out

until six months later

because of Ben

She finally moved away

and settled in an unknown town

outside of Pittsburgh

because of Ben

and when we called her

to ask her if she’d come home for Christmas

she said she couldn’t

because of Ben

When Sara got married

we sent her an invitation

and she sent a letter back

that said she wanted to come

but couldn’t

because of Ben

and when she got married

we didn’t go

because of Ben

We heard she wanted two boys and a girl

but didn’t have them

because of Ben

We heard she wanted to study literature

but didn’t

because of Ben

We heard she was offered a job at an art gallery

but couldn’t take it

because of Ben

then she called Francis one day out of the blue

but had to hang up

because of Ben

When her mother died

she came home

and at the funeral we saw her

but didn’t get to talk long

because of Ben

and I just gave up on being friends with her

because of Ben

Time passed a

and we heard from each other

but we never heard from her

because of Ben

I heard she was heartbroken

and lonely in the Midwest

because of Ben

then I heard she had taken to Vodka and water

because of Ben

She was hospitalized

and had a portion of her stomach removed

and though I was on the other side of the door from her

I wasn’t allowed to see her

because of Ben

and when she went home from the hospital

we called constantly but she never answered

because of Ben

She was made to get caller ID

because of Ben

Eventually she developed hypertension and high blood pressure

because of Ben

and when she died at 38

from complications related to it all

we weren’t allowed to say goodbye

because of Ben

and when the people she used to know

ask me how she died

I say

because of Ben