“The Morning I Became Someone Else” — A Poem from Jim Garraty’s POV

Every so often, while revisiting Reunion: A Story and Reunion: Coda, I find myself returning to the emotional fault lines that shaped Jim Garraty long before he ever set foot in Cambridge or New York. Graduation Day 1983 is one of those fault lines — the day when childhood ended, adulthood began, and the girl he loved slipped into the realm of memory.

The poem below is written from Jim’s point of view, not mine.
It reflects his inner world on the morning of his high‑school graduation — the anxiety, the regret, the fear of losing Marty forever, and the quiet strength he draws from his best friend, Mark Prieto.

And just to be absolutely clear for new readers:

Marty is a girl — Martina Elizabeth Reynaud — the girl Jim loved for years but confessed his feelings to… far too late.

 
That late almost-confession, and the kiss that followed, becomes the emotional hinge of the entire duology.

Here’s the poem.

---

The Morning I Became Someone Else

from the perspective of Jim Garraty

I didn’t know it then—
standing in the bathroom with Mark,
ice cubes melting through a handkerchief,
my tie too tight,
my heart tighter—
but that was the morning
childhood ended.

Not at the ceremony.
Not when I crossed the stage.
Not when the caps flew.

It ended in the quiet:
in the mirror’s soft judgment,
in Mark’s steady hands,
in the way my voice cracked
when I said her name.

Marty was the dream
I woke from too soon.
Mark was the friend
who kept me standing.

And somewhere between
the nightmare and the sunlight,
I realized growing up
isn’t a moment—
it’s a series of small surrenders
to the truth of who you are
and who you love
and what you’re afraid to lose.

Pooja

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!

Reviewed in Canada on June 7, 2025

Format: Kindle

Verified Purchase

Firstly, the writing was excellent. I felt drawn in from the moment I began reading, and I think it helped that I was already familiar with the characters. I appreciate that his writing is incredibly intelligent and well done without crossing the line into being pretentious.

I thought the themes that Alex Diaz-Granados chose to explore were very meaningful. Lost love, loss in general, and being stuck in the past/memories of the past are things we can all relate to.

I really enjoy the way Alex creates characters because they very much feel like real people. They have flaws, and they have redeeming qualities, just as most of us do.

I won’t go into the details of the plot because with books like this one, giving away too much can ruin the experience for other readers. But I will say there are some beautiful moments, some heavy moments, some thoughtful moments, and most importantly, the plot deals with the complex nature of relationships that humans have with one another. We crave love, social interactions, and connections, yet when we achieve them, things are often more complicated than we realise.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Reunion: Coda by Alex Diaz-Granados. I had pretty high hopes for this book, and he delivered. If you enjoy a poignant, thoughtful, and well-written book- this one is for you. I highly recommend it. And if you haven’t read the first book in the series, please do, as it will help you understand the plot of this one much better.