Different Faces

So which is the more valuable, Our good friends or our lovers? And just where does the difference lie, In truth or under covers? When waves of darkness swamp your boat And you are feeling lonely, Is clarity or warmth preferred Or do you crave life only? When tears fall in torrential burst And hope seems mere placebo, Do you recall God’s promises? (Dare to expect a rainbow?) To peel life’s onion also tears Our eyes, though understanding Can sometimes show the heart of things And humbles our demanding. And sex and sacrifice there too, A multi-layered model, With service as a binding glue, Precursors all to waddle. (1) Is friendship then the heart of love Or is that topsy-turvy And love the heart of friendship born? Disputing God quite nervy. (2) And does it matter which is true, What puts you through your paces? A simple answer to our quest, One coin with different faces. Brian Johnston March 11,2015 Poet's Notes: (1) I am using the word waddle here as an indication of a child just learning to walk, an unsteady gait that reminds us how immature the human race really is emotionally. (2) When the Bible says that God Himself is Love, one could assume that this gives Love a higher status than friendship, but I question that idea in this poem, though I am not sure myself of the answer. Still I stubbornly cling to the idea that true Love and true Friendship may in fact be indistinguishable from one another.