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FRIENDSHIP…a precious commodity,
Enjoyed by few…today;
Neither the time for it,
Nor the effort…as in yesterday.

Used to be we needed each other,
Or survival was at risk;
But, things have changed now,
Encounters…just passing and brisk.

Our guard goes up,
And we back off;
This…our protection now,
At anything deeper…we just scoff.

I am myself…that’s all I need,
A self-made man…you see;
I can battle all the storms of life,
All that it can throw at me.

But, with this kind of attitude,
So very much…we miss;
We know nothing beneath ‘surface’,
Nothing of FRIENDSHIP’s bliss.

I think of David and Jonathan,
As one…in their hearts;
A pact they did make,
Not even death could part.

Would you like this kind of FRIENDSHIP,
One that’s shallow…NOT;
One with total trust,
This kind cannot be bought.

It’s a matter of the heart,
For that’s where it does begin;
Preferring one…before myself,
Choosing to let the other…win.

Now, if that were in my heart,
And, it were in your heart…also;
Such a FRIENDSHIP there would be,
A thing of beauty…would begin to grow.

Do you want…beyond ‘shallow’,
A FRIENDSHIP with roots going down deep;
Someone you can depend upon,
One who will…all their promises keep?

When that seed of FRIENDSHIP is planted,
Down in your heart-of-hearts;
Be careful to nurture it,
As a faithful gardener…not depart.

Neither keep digging it up,
To see if it is growing;
Don’t put it to the ‘test’,
Lack of trust…showing.

Water that seed…as needed,
Don’t flood…and thus…drown;
But, just the right amount,
And, that seedling will abound.

Plenty of rays of sunshine,
A smile…each time you meet;
Drawing forth that beauty,
Whenever that one you greet.

Remember to do the weeding,
Don’t let them begin to grow;
Be a true husbandman,
And, your faithfulness…show.

This plant called FRIENDSHIP,
Now…upward it does shoot;
A tall plant…reaching to the sky,
This seed has taken root.

An ‘annual’…perhaps,
Lasting but one year;
Still, treasure its beauty,
Hold it to your heart…so near.

Or maybe it’s ‘bi-annual’,
And, with it…two years you are blessed;
See how much it adds to your garden,
More beauty…never less.

‘Perennial’…eternal,
It just goes on forever;
Adding a lifetime and even more,
Its beauty diminishing…never.

What kind of FRIENDSHIP do we have,
With what…have we been blessed?
Each kind with a beauty all its own,
To savor…and nothing to be missed!

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January 24, 2003

Aimee Love
(LHG)