Being true to yourself,
Can involve losses,
Things don’t ever
Stay the same
As I evolve
Sometimes things change
Friends drop off
Along the way
Why do they leave?
Sometimes they don’t say.
But one person said,
“It just wasn’t that important
To talk to you any more.”
Well ain’t that the shits?
She and I had been friends
For ten years,
Been through tough times
Supported each other.
Then I felt
Her pull away.
I still don’t think
I know the real reason
Why she left.
I suspect
She doesn’t either.
I tell myself
That it’s OK
But that is to
Protect myself
Because it hurts like hell,
When it happens.
Sometimes its gradual
Time spent together
Grows less
Interest in your world
Grows less
Then comes a point
Where you sense
They are listening
Out of politeness
And not because
They care any more.
Don’t disrespect me
By faking nice.
What can you do?
Try to hold on?
Won’t work
If someone is intent
On leaving.
Just gotta let go
But it hurts
One less person
To be there for you.
One less person
Who’s got your back.
The group gets smaller
That you can call friend.
You feel the twinge –
I feel lonely.
Well that really sucks.
It is what it is.
The other side of it,
There’s room in my world
For new people
To flow into my life
And as surely as
The old friends fade away.
New friends are emerging.
Being there.
Honoring my writer
Enjoying my poet.
Hearing when I speak.
I really like this part.
Life feels more rich
Because of the new friends.
Note: I read some of my older poetry at an open mic event one Saturday night this spring. I came home and wrote this poem. I went back and read it the next Saturday night at the open mic event. I think they call that generativity!
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Photo credits:
Courtesy of Stephen McCulloch, Kevin Higgins. Creative Commons via Wikimedia.
Previously Published in Thoughts Along the Road to Healing
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Lovely Dan. What struck me was …
“Don’t disrespect me
By faking nice.” I have caught myself doing this very thing and when I stopped it felt free but was accompanied by sadness as I realized it was time to say good-bye.
I also really appreciated the balance with the upside …
“The other side of it,
There’s room in my world
For new people”
Something that encourages and to look forward to.
Thanks Moira! The line about faking nice just fell out onto paper, when I realized that’s what I had experienced. I’ve done it, had it done to me, neither felt very good. Yes, then the sadness that it’s time to say goodbye!
The upside – yes, that was what I experienced this spring when I wrote this poem – there were a whole lot of new people in my life – who really did support me!
Glad this poem resonated, Moira!
Dan