Tag: Friendship

The Sarasota Six

In all the years that they’ve been friends,
They’ve shared a lot of things:
They’ve each stood by in times of tears,
And days of wedding rings —

It’s strange how long they’ve all stayed friends,
It’s rarely seen today —
For most of us just lose our friends
Somewhere along the way

For what keeps friends together?
It is simple caring? Fate?
Or being careful what you say,
Or who you choose to date?

I couldn’t say, but this I know:
A friendship doesn’t end,
When every party to it
Just decides to stay a friend.

And that is that has happened here.
I see it now, today:
For since they really care, they just
Will not throw that
Away

On the Shores of Light

My friend, I’ve seen you many ways:
In night’s embrace, on windy days,
In cafes orbiting in space,
And other venues commonplace –

But mostly from a distance now.
Our lives have cleft, diverged somehow;
For you and I have lives to lead,
And hills to move, and mouths to feed.

But somewhere, on the shores of light,
There’s life, and love, and good, and right,
I wish for you, each day and week,
Although we may not often speak.

Forever and with all I have,
And out of all we’ve been through,
I hope you always see yourself
The way that I
Have seen you

regrets, like the ocean

her regrets, like the ocean
in their immensity and constant turmoil
surrounded both of us –
far too real to be ignored

because i loved her,
i left her ocean undisturbed;
because i love her,
i offer only my
acceptance

we who live
live with imperfect knowledge;
we cannot know outcomes

there we sat,
surrounded by the ocean;
here i sit now,
surrounded by my own thoughts

my friend:
i do love you.
and love,
like stars that hover
high above any ocean,
does not change the water,
but give us –
if only for a time –
something else
to look at

Near Miss

Years ago
I knew this girl
With a beautiful face and
A beautiful heart

And I didn’t fall in love with her
Nor did I date her

Just in case readers of this blog
Might have started to think
That never happened to me

As a matter of fact, she is now around 50
Like I am
And she’s still beautiful
And we’re still friends

Truthfully, I am still friends with
Virtually all of my
Ex-girlfriends
Mis-dates
Even my ex-wife

Possibly because
None of them know about this blog

I would hope, however, they would approve
Of the models I choose to represent them
In the stock photos I use on these pieces

Anyway, this girl
Looked like the model in the picture above
And she was always cold
Even during Florida summers

And last year, online
As we exchanged pleasantries
She told me that
She had a cat years ago
That she named after me

Because he was so bizarre

And I kind of liked that

Roni’s Engagement

She called to tell me that she was engaged –
Me, dating some love spasm at the time –
Who I brought with me to meet them for drinks
Which I think were Coronas – yes – with lime

And she still looked a perfect movie star
And so did he, if truth, in fact, be told;
They were so good together: he was kind.
And I was happy for the ring of gold

She wore now on her finger as a sign
That she with him would now forever stay.
A thing I thought unlikely at the time,
Although they’re still together to this day

It’s funny: I write poems all the time.
I dredge these stories up from memory:
And find sometimes I didn’t know my heart
Until I write these down in poetry

We’d flirted with each other, and had tested
The waters of erotic friendliness;
When that part of our friendship was abandoned
I found, I didn’t love her any less

I loved her more as friends; for she was regal,
And meant for kindness as a life reward:
And she was happy now – I know she still is –
With someone who loved her
Who she
Adored

All I Have to Give is Rain

Now all I have to give is rain,
I’m not much of a friend —
But if it tears you need, I have
A thousand I can send

To water all the ways that may
Lay scorched within your heart;
I’ll send my clouds to cool the earth
And help the new life start

Perhaps your green’s grown murky now,
Or blue, or some such shade of —
Still I will send you what I can,
For rain is what I’m made of

Yes, all I have to give is rain,
To fill the out of doors —
And I’ll come down where’er you call,
For what is mine
Is yours

Love Spasm The Fourth

Love Spasm 04

I had a friend who loved a girl
But dated her roommate:
We were then both in college
He lived in another state

I travelled up to his school
Without notice, on a whim:
The Friday that I got there
I could not see much of him

Because of things he had to do.
He told me with a shrug
That I could take this girl out
Who I knew he really dug

So we played tennis, she and I
Then drank at a cafe:
Then drove her white convertible
To pass the time away

And much to my surprise
Some things then happened, unforeseen:
‘Twas very late when I got back
And he was passed out, clean —

He asked me, what had happened
The next morning, with a smile:
“We played tennis — had some drinks —
Then drove around awhile…”

He looked at me, astonished
For he knew me far too well;
He heard what I had not said,
In the things I didn’t tell

And we sat there in silence
As he sadly shook his head
He wasn’t mad at me at all
But at himself instead

For he was with her roommate.
Truth is truth, and fair is fair:
But what he shared with me
He never
Ever
Meant
To share