PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Yesterday was a beautiful day…

We woke up anticipating how we were going to spend

most of that entire day in the company of a friend.

We picked her up a her house…

she was waiting by the street

then drove to a place called FloridaRAMA 

an interactive art museum down in south St. Pete.

The weather on the drive down was beautiful

and listening along the way I must conclude…

When friends get together they love to talk…

and often…it’s about food.

FloridaRAMA was amazing! 

There were displays of every kind.

We strolled around the exhibits mesmerized.

It was like walking inside each artist’s mind.

We even signed up for a scavenger hunt…

where we looked for hidden coins along the way…

Yes, there in this immersive art museum….

3 people in their 70’s…let their inner children out to play.

We ate lunch outside at a restaurant…

where this beautiful day resumed…

where we sat and laughed and talked together

long after our dinner was consumed.

On the drive home we talked about the experience

the three of us just amassed…

about food, about family, about life,

and about some of our Christmas’s past.

By the time we returned home…and hugged goodbye

as this adventure came to an end…

we were all reminded of the reasons…

the three of us are friends.

If we’re lucky every day of our life is beautiful…

as we make our daily quest…

and if we’re truly fortunate

some days are more beautiful than the rest.

If someone you know is hurting…

If darkness is filling up their day….

may you be blessed to be the candle

that helps to light their way.

I’m never quite sure when I wake up where the spark of a new poem will begin

but the other day two old friend were talking

and a spark ignited while I had the privilege of listening in.

I’ve heard these two old friends talk many times…

after all…isn’t that what old friends do?

They talk about life, about friends, about children and grandchildren…

as they share a memory…or two.

And that’s the way this conversation was going…when suddenly…out of the blue…

one friend turned to the other and said, “Did you know…my first memory…was you?”

As I say I’ve heard many of their conversations over the years

but the the way these five words blended was new…

and I thought…how wonderful it must have been 

for one friend to say…and the other to hear

My first memory was you.

They grew up and are growing old together…these two old friends.

and in a lifetime of sharing words attached to their memories… 

I can’t imagine any of their words were more meaningful

or more beautiful..than these.

Yes, for years I’ve heard them speak comforting words to one another…

In times of joy…and even when their hearts were broken…

but I have never felt more lucky an honored 

than to be in the room when these five words were spoken.

I have been blessed to hear some beautiful words in my life:

I love you…

Congratulations your a father

Dad

PopPop

I do

And I’m happy to add to this wonderful list 

the words

My first memory…was you.

I hope someday we’re blessed to understand…

as we’re torn apart by the hate and anger we’re desperately trying to weather.

how love and friendship is the glue

that can hold the world together.

Some words have the ability to go beyond themselves…

to transform us…to transcend:

Who is the first person who enters your mind 

when you hear the words

my friend?

When you focus on those words for a while…

How many other faces do you see?

How many other friends are waiting to be acknowledged

as they line up in your memory?

When we reach into our memory 

and stoke those friendship embers…

the first thing we see are our friends’ faces 

but it’s the moments of friendship we remember.

We remember moments we have shared 

throughout the days and months and years

the joy, the laughter, the sorrow

the sadness and the tears.

We cherish those moments of friendship

and are thankful for how long their memories last…

keeping us close to friends who have moved away…

and others who have passed.

And when we think of friends still with us…still nearby

we are thankful…we’re elated

for the moments of friendship we will share

that have yet to be created.

So in those times when life slows down 

when we have some extra time to spend….

We’ll have so many moments to remember 

every time we hear the words…

my friend

If you are having difficulty dealing with something by yourself

a what, where, when or who

may you be blessed to have a friend…

who will sit next to you. 

Who will be there when your life

is troubled, sad…or blurred…

who will put their arm around you

without saying a word

And if someone you know is having difficulty 

dealing with a what, where, when or who

may they be blessed to find that friend

who’s sitting next to them

is you…

Reaching out

Enduring pain

Needing friends

Expecting

Entrusting

Missing social connection

Yet still hopeful

Finally a voice

Rather words in text

Indicating someone cared

Eagerly responding

New friend discovered

Dare to hope again.

May we all be blessed with a multitude of diverse friends…

for once a new fireship is unfurled

That person adds their own unique approach  

and beauty to our world.

And once we’ve welcomed in a new friend…

It matter not where or when…

Remarkably…

the world we knew before we met them 

will never be the same again.

It’s a lesson I learned in grade school that still echoes in my mind…

A lesson on the sadness and cruelty of prejudice…

and the joys of being compassionate and kind…

A large new student entered our close-knit world

and as was our cruel and childish rule of thumb…

immediately we had a name for him…we called him Big and Dumb.

I imagine we were a little intimidated and afraid of this big new kid in school… 

Why is it fear of someone different sometimes causes us to be cruel?

But once I got to know him…once I took the time to see

except for his enormous size…he was a lot like me!

Just like me he had his fears…his anxieties…his insecurities…

and just like me he liked his burgers with lots of ketchup and Swiss cheese.

He was smart and funny…we could always make each other laugh…

I helped him with English and he helped me with Math.

I was hesitant at first to to approach someone so different and unplanned…

but found acceptance and friendship easy once I took the time to understand.

It’s a lesson, if we’re lucky, we learn as children:

How our world is such a beautiful place to be…

and how what makes it beautiful…is it’s diversity.

If we’re blessed we learn from our childhood mistakes 

and leave behind us once and for all…

those times we acted out of fear and ignorance…

back when our minds were much to small.

For it is these lessons learned in childhood 

that contribute to the adults we will become…

helping us grow up big and smart…

instead of big and dumb.

It was a lesson I’m glad I learned early…much earlier than expected…

and I’ll always be grateful for the time when our two lives intersected.