Ode For Chris

You will never fade from my heart, dear friend Though my words to you are now heaven sent For eighteen years you brought joy to my life And so many times you erased my strife When the world outside seemed so harsh and mean You wiped my slate clean, changed the scene Showed me that love could exist without pain Or sexual desires, personal gain Together we clung as a sweet friend died You offered love as she suffered and cried The peace you added to her life I shared Because I had someone who truly cared Just wanted to make things right for others You were my soul mate, my spiritual brother You came to me when you learned you’d soon die I held you so close; in my arms you cried But it wasn’t for yourself these tears were shed You worried for me, hanging by a thread I watched you pass from this world to the next In your last hours you said you felt blessed Your faith was so strong that you had no fear Your belief in eternal life was clear I look to the skies now, call out your name And in my life you will always remain A beacon of hope that still casts its light Your presence surrounds me, its force so bright I’m so grateful you saw something in me That made you my friend for eternity *Entry for the Ode to a Friend contest Dedicated to Chris Codd, my dear friend who died Christmas Day, 2005