Best Old Friends Poems
Of all old friends, those we have of old are best;
These the souls we travel with by preference,
Theirs the spirits to whom we grant all deference.
Their hopes are ours, ours their own;
All victories shared, from like ambitions grown.
Their years match step with ours,
Show like passage of the hours,
Silent steps of Time with which our lives are sown.
They are moved as we are moved;
Troubled and pleased by like turns of Fate,
We pass through one another's gates
Into rooms where loyalty is proved
By ties of woven sympathies,
By bonds no outsider sees.
By bonds no outsider sees
We tie ourselves to those who share
The pithy heart of all unspoken cares,
The shadows that would dim our days
If no one shared our private ways,
If none there were to let us know
The fitness of the face we dare not show;
The old friend nods and quietly stays
Close by our side when mere acquaintance leaves,
Unashamed to share our darkest inner night;
Awaits with us the slow return of light.
The old friend trusts and faithfully believes
The tales we tell ourselves of joy or sorrow,
Looks to yesterday and forward to tomorrow.
Looking back to yesterday. forward to tomorrow,
We walk with them through the wilderness of living
Thankful for their presence and forgiving,
As do we, the flaws that mark our human bounds
Ignoring discordant notes that sound
From time to time in all the narrative
We build to define our days and give
Form and substance to the constant rounds
Of night to day and day to night,
Our mutual progress towards Eternity,
The approaching dark we do not wish to see
Unless in company with the comforting light
Of well-earned close companionship,
Of sympathetic souls who join us on the trip.
Seeking truths wherein the brave heart delves,
We guide each other through dwindling days
To face the world, to learn its ways,
Its cruelties and its beauties shared
Both the better for each time we dared
To question this, our common Lot:
To Be, awhile, and then to Not.
So we share all we have got
To fill our time, to weave our lives.
Without old friends, the path is drear and long,
Where goes but one to compose the song
To tell of what we were, and how we strived
To rescue Sense from Folly, all the rest;
Of all friends, those we have of old are best.
Dusty roads and fresh grass
summertime rodeos approaching fast
riding with a friend down on sandbars
A piece of hay hanging out of his mouth
though some trapped water, out the other side
I had forgotten this wonderful life
I still see some twenty year old boy helping me up
now a sixty year old man rides in front
pointing all the changes in the last five years
I could not believe what time I lost
4 am to a cowboy is not early enough
my pants soaking wet my boots fixed
We rode on down to his dads favorite spot
to meet God when the sun comes up
we turned to face it and did not say a word
God's spirit was the only thing we heard
as earth to air, and water to fire, met in the sky
right there two old friends prayed to God
They laugh and chat throughout each day and night -
much reminiscing, future jaunts to plan,
and what they'd do to put the planet right.
Yes, they will travel - surely they still can!
Adventures many years ago at sea,
relived, exaggerated, lied about...
Oh, what it was back then, so young and free,
to know you'd make it back, without a doubt.
Then tearful, sober thoughts of wrecks they'd seen:
their friends reduced to driftwood on the shore -
but they have memories of who they'd been,
recall their greatness, though they are no more.
A pair of boats, oblivion awaits;
yet, as they rot, they dream of better fates...
For Sara's Choices sonnet contest, inspired by Picture 1 Old Friends
When we were young
We didn’t know what we could become
What we could have been
When we were just sixteen.
The road ran on forever
Summer lasted long and dreamy
Never a thought of being old
When we were young and bold.
We met together talked and sang
Planted a twig that became a tree
No restraints we ran free
Like a picture coloured in and drawn.
When we were young
What could we have become
A singer,poet and artist we
Bosco, Souixie Sue and me.
Gathered at the Walnut Grove
Along wi Tam, Nautical Bill and Blondie Bee
Having fun singing our song
Never knowing what was to come.
Our paths were split
Each to their own way went
Thinking back to when we were young
A tune forgotten already sung.
©andrew provan mcintyre 12/5/16.
The Ghost denied
he was a Ghost,
though clearly
I saw through --
Someone I knew
in life, back then
quite pink, substantial
with lots
and lots to do –
tried and tried
convincing him
all to no avail,
myself even now
more pale
till recognized he
dear friend, himself
who had
read my eulogy….
Two friends they thought it would never end,
They just wanted their love to blend,
Friends and lovers what can you say?
Your words take my breath away.
Their life was in each other’s heart.
How would they ever know it was a dart,
A dart that would kill their love.
Just like a dying dove.
There was no more love flying,
Just more and more crying,
Now we are apart,
Like we were from the start,
Now we cry for each the other,
Like we did when we needed our mother.
picture #1
We grow up bonding
we become inseparable
share dreams and hopes together
waiting to explore life on our own
then in a blink we graduate
go our separate ways
keep in touch every week
then every other
years will pass like clouds
phone calls and numbers change
so do addresses and last names
Life goes on
we find others to bond with
become inseparable with our mates
share new dreams and hopes together
living life as we grow older
than in a blink I'm gone
going our separate ways once again
you visit the cemetery daily
then weekly....
before long my grave becomes overgrown
your address changes
mine stays the same
Life goes on
Old Friends
Come, sit with me and share some idle talk,
Of cabbages and kings, of life and death.
Or else, perhaps, opining as we walk,
We could discuss some current shibboleth.
We’ll wile away the day just as we please,
While deconstructing pop philosophy.
No topic is taboo, we’ll shoot the breeze
With politics mixed with theology.
Together we will save the planet Earth,
Preventing climate change from getting worse.
And when we’re done with that, for what it’s worth,
We’ll solve the riddles of the universe.
We’ll talk the talk and talk the walk and then
Tomorrow we will do it all again!
I have a pair of friends I've had for years
Should we part I would surely drown in tears
Together we've trod byways
Although we've seen better days
My scruffy old shoes that I bought at Sears
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Entry for Skat's "Shoes" Contest
When I go back to the Islands
And my old friends said that they miss me
I miss me too,
the old me,
The one who had the futuristic ideas
the girl with
the nappy braids that locks
the girl with the ashy feet,
the one who work the land with her bare hands
I was liked a woman land army,
wild and carefree
the same girl who use her teeth to peel
out the hard skin and bite into the inner part of the sugarcane and chew it.
Planted roses, morning glories with a smile
The one who loaded sharp blades sugarcanes on to the high trucks
under the relentless sun or frigid rain
with aches and pain
and drank water from the pitchers
until the sun go down
Somehow, that girl survive those hard days
Even when she dance until dawn to the
Sound of the reggae beat and the oldies Goldie’s.
The one who woke up early to catch the 5:20 am bus
to travel to work in Wildleys for minimum wages.
So when I go back to the islands
And my old friends say they miss me
Old friends brings all of the memories
back into the present state of mind
for a woman who is growing old
Just before the sun sets
On the ocean blue
The sun meets with his counter part
Her name is Mrs. Moon
She comes with all her children
The stars up in the sky
Every night when it's time for bed
They all sing sweet nighttime lullabies
Now Mrs. Moon and Mr. Sun
They hang around and chat awhile
Catching up on the gossip of the day
Than just like that, they part as friends
Shaking hands than scurrying on their ways
Now Mr. Sun he has a job, he now must go and do
To wake up the human beings who have been in bed
Tucked away by the stars and Mrs. Moon
It's an everyday occurrence
Just look up to the skies
You'll see the pleasantries
Being exchanged in front of Heavens eyes
OLD FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS......
Dear Friend,
Greetings,
Old buddy of mine,
How goes life?
Old gold
These days,
Golden oldies
we are,
Days go
rolling by,
Sun blessed,
or grey skies,
Seasons are
passing by
We're all
growing older,
What are
you doing
Today, my friend?
Smiles when
thoughts of
You flow by.
Read today
"Old friends
are our
Best friends.."
Hear from
You soon,
bye for now,
old buddy
of mine.
Regards from
old friend.
put down names and numbers
in my book
family, friends
and some
occasionally
when I go down the list
to phone them up
I pass over many
who have gone
only to remember them fondly--
say a prayer --
and slowly --
my heart moves on.
day dawns, darkness fades
earth welcomes warm lazy sun...
old friends meet again
my old friends
all around me
talking of the past
of present pains
of future plans
my old friends
all around me
turning left
turning right
turning pale
my old friends
all around me
standing tall
sitting still
falling fast
my old friends