A Handful....Of....Friendships Poem by James B. Earley

......Amid.....decades of living
And varied acquaintances he'd known
Were that handful of friendships
....Eventually...he came to rely on

Roads that he traveled
Indeed some rocky at times
From adversity discovering
....The most....treasured of signs

That struggle begets character
....In turn.....guiding the way
An enlightenment illuminating
...His.....most cloudest...of days

And pain though a promise....
Yet....finding its mechanisms deploy
A peculiarity....of circumstance
....Thus an abundance of joy

Within that handful of friendships
...Life's transcendental...affair
Rescuing....from the grasps....
Of what was sheer utter despair
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....Throughout.....decades of living
The many acquaintances he'd known
...Dwelt that handful of friendships
Spiritually...he came...to rely on