As it turns out, I do not have such great need of you
As would make sufferable to me the return
Of all the baggage that experience has shown
Comes inseparably with.
Category Archives: Friendship
Mad At Me
I had been troubled
That an old friend was mad at me
For my slowness to do as promised
And adding to my procrastination
About important matters,
In my delay, I had hoped alternately
That he his silence had been
Simply because he was busy—
And then again that he must be mad—
Deliberately the Nicest Sort
There are those who count themselves
Deliberately the nicest sort
And who think it a grave sin
To confront another human about his sins.
He Simply Doesn’t Want the Facts Except

It took me a while to figure out how it goes,
But I can see now that he simply
Doesn’t want the facts except when they
Support the feelings he’s already cultivating.
Beyond the Necessary to the Meaningful

Too few have the elusive spark that drives them
Beyond the necessary to the meaningful—
From the sanctuary of self to the garden of others.
How sweet it is, then, that such gardeners might perchance
Find one another along the way and take heart
In a camaraderie unknown to others.
The Help of Competent Friends
She Is Constantly on Display

She is constantly on display
And seeking approval,
Even when no one is watching—
Worn out in the endless
Striving to meet expectations
That had never had anything to do with
Goodness and love and truth
In the first place.
What We Most Want to Know

I have long thought that
What we most want to know
About the people we meet
Is whether they will hurt us.
In a World That Does Not Want To

It is not easy to do well
In a world that does not want to.