Signs Of What Was

The unadorned.

“How does it feel to be back?” she asked.

I couldn’t quite find the words to articulate what I was feeling—nostalgia, pride, loss, sadness? Not that I would have shared any of it anyway.

I sought out the old tree that had always borne signs of encouragement, but there were fewer now. It looked plain, sparse, uninspiring. It no longer reflected the time when I was there—being tested, pushed, made to prove myself worthy.

It stands almost unadorned.

“Grateful,” I said. And that is real.

FBI Academy, Quantico, VA- 2002

FBI Academy, Quantico, VA - 2025