Friends

I always thought, when I was young
Friends would come into my life
Through large events that bonded us
Through trials, grief and strife

And though there have been friendships born
Or strengthened by such times
The ones I find most cherished
Have come in quieter times

They slipped into my daily life
In random, varied ways
They made a place within my heart
And brightened up my days

And though I don't deserve them
I can say I've learned one thing
To smile and count my lucky stars
For the friendships that life brings

Early Morning

Early Morning

I wrap myself around your
Sleeping body
As familiar to me now
As is my own
No cares can take me when
I have you near me
You are the greatest love
I've ever known

We never even dreamt that
When we started
This journey would require
Such strong resolve
To carry us through times
Of unmatched sorrows
Or the ways our love would
Strengthen and evolve

Now, lying in the calm of
Early morning
I wrap myself around you
Once again
I revel in the happiness
I've found here
The joy of living life
With my best friend

A Parents Love

The love you feel
When your child is born
The depth of emotion there
Is inexplicable, inescapable
Undeniable, indescribable
There's nothing to compare
There's no way to prepare

You're willing to do battle
For someone you just met
The feeling is stunning
Overwhelming, enlightening
No longer will you
Ever think just of you
This is as real as it gets

So many have tried
To tell you
The magical feelings of
Seeing that being
Become real and breathing
Amazing, life changing
That undying feeling of love

The Right Questions

Who could have guessed it would get so
Complicated
What happened to all our plans
When did it all get away from us
Where did we think it would take us
How did we end up here

We had all the right questions
The ones they taught us to ask in school
Who, what, when, where and how
They didn't tell us
perhaps they knew we wouldn't believe
Life has its own answers

Who could have made us listen
What would have changed our minds
When were we willing to see
Where would we have ended up
How could we have known

Life would have its own answers
and Why matters not at all

Madness

Scattered thoughts tossed out like favors
Random patterns lost in time
Pithy quotes hold empty wishes
Witness poets discordant rhyme

Longing for a real companion
Reaching for the unclaimed prize
Disappointments, quests unanswered
Hope retreats before my eyes

Bring an ending to this longing
Tortured soul can dream no more
Take me from this life of madness
Dim the light and close the door

My Friend

It hurts something inside of me
to know that you're in pain
I'd find a way to turn back time
to make you smile again
and lift you up, my friend

I know there isn't anything
which I may say or do
to make this any easier
so I'll just stand with you
I'll always stand with you

Forever Changed

You will be forever changed
Not by the loss
Although it etches itself on your
heart
But by the gain
Knowing that you loved, really loved
and lost
It makes you more than
you were before
More understanding
More empathetic
More appreciative
More

Worth the love
the work, the loss
But she was
Oh she was

Love is always worth the loss
Rejoice!
For you have loved
and you are
Forever changed

When I lost my sister at only 22
I asked my mother
how she stood the loss
"I try to look at it this way"
she said
"When she was born, when they
put her in my arms, if they had told me
I could only have her for
22 years
I would have taken her anyway.
Anything less is saying
she wasn't worth it."