From the Archive: Closer than a Brother

A friendship poem

This poem was my very first Substack post, which means hardly anyone saw it, so I thought I would share it again. I have been reminded again recently of how precious friends are and also of how important it is to be the friend you want to have.

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Closer than a Brother

Find the friend who
brings you a cold drink on a hot day,
laughs at all your jokes, and then 
calls out the lies you’re believing.

Find the friend who
ignores your messy hair and messier house, 
sits with you while you cry,
and sheds a tear or two herself.

Find the friend who 
knows when you’re avoiding her
and also knows it’s because hiding 
is easier than speaking the pain out loud. 

Find the friend who
keeps believing when you have given up,
who will fight to the end for you to 
remember the truth you knew all along. 

When you find that friend,
give her a hug, buy her a coffee,
and give back all you have received.