Strange Friend

Neither impatient nor loud
He was very easy to ignore, at first.
But he made himself felt
In the deep of my gut,
Not content, after all, in the shadows,
Where he lurked
Unseen by most
But not by me.

If I could not ignore him
Perhaps I could know him.
Make a friend of this friendless stranger.
The friendless are eager
To be friended.

So now I have this nameless friend
A friend for life, he likes to say.
He drapes himself about me
And listens with both ears
So patiently.
So patient.

But my new friend is jealous
As new friends sometimes are.
I must turn old friends away
Even show my love the door.
My friend has made it clear
There's room for only one—
Including me.

Now that no one's left
From the life I've left behind
My friend declares it time
For dreaming.

My friend is wise
By closing them, my eyes are opened.

The morning light springs hope eternal.
But horizon light is setting sun
My tunnel's end has come
Hope falls eternal.


If I knew his name was death
I did not know I knew it.
And it can't be said
I did not choose
To not know
What I should have.

That the friendless
Are friendless
For cause.

And the bliss of ignorance
Is no bliss
At all.