Yesterday in a letter
I playfully scolded
an old friend,
then vainly searched
his reply this morning
for a sign of wit
or even friendship.
Remind me to be careful
approaching old friends,
or anyone—we never know
what grief a soul may be nursing
beneath a shell of frozen smiles.
so true and wonderfully written...i was taught early in life to be careful what i said (even in jest) because what you say does affect a person...sometimes for a life time...i applaud you for this well-written poem...you did great.
amen, Max... so often we can be careless in our words. good poem. dan
I find the same thing in messages to some of my dear friends on this very site, Maxy. Thank you for spreading humanity. Love, Gina.
I like how you've got that broached that teasing/friendship relationship - like a sharpened skate that might cut right through the ice and dropp one in icy cold waters... - chuck
during a very difficult time in my life, I became painfully aware of how the smallest actions, words, anything, can make or break someone. A man bending down to pick up my dropped keys was an angelic sign of humanity; a flip of a finger was crushing. Your poem is a great reminder that we are connected, whether we want to believe it or not. Unfortunately, to Lisa's point, we can't truly connect without some humor and brutal honesty sometimes, regardless of the consequences.
Yes, there are times, less so with old friends than new, I think most would agree. And there is something lacking in email; misunderstandings are too easy... Thank you for illuminating the fact that even old friendships need special tending at times.
Ain't that the truth. How can we BE friends if we can't 'be friends'? How can you enjoy engaging with those youy love if you cannot venture into areas of truth?
Max, very insightful... certainly something we can all relate to. Excellent write! Brian
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Hey Max, you stole my words out of my mouth! ! prathibha nandakumar