#PoeticAnswers 9 – How Many Sides Are There to a Friendship?

For a friendship to stay afloat,
It must have a strong base.
Let this be side one.
From this, the fundamentals are established,
We build and we bond together,
Floating as a brand new raft on a sea of no cares.

Growing taller and stronger,
Your raft becomes a boat.
Boxed in and built up.
Port and starboard
Stern and bow.
Ready to sail into the future.

Port, left side,
From here, you can look out and see
All that you have left behind.
Out in the distance, a setting sun,
Typhoons of emotion.
Beneath the waves,
Buried treasures and wreckages,
Lost forever, eroded by salt-water tears.

Starboard, right side.
Because someone was always
Right by your side.
Your first-mate and anchor,
Your navigator and helmsman,
They have never steered you wrong.
And although the waves have been rough,
They have never left you mutinied or marooned.

Stern to the rear,
The wind at your back,
And your home and stateroom.
And it’s appropriate that the bedroom
Is called a stateroom.
Because the two of you have left it in a state
From drinking too much rum with no coke
And sharing the best and worst moments of your lives.

The final side, bow.
Always looking forward.
Looking forward to the future
Because this is the best journey of your life.
There’s never been a second wind,
But it’s never been a breeze.
But sometimes, you need to go ashore,
The rum makes you say some pretty dumb things.

But your five-side friendship
Will still be in harbour,
Waiting for you to return,
Waiting for the next journey.
The seas may be rough,
But much like the barnacles on the base,
You’re sticking together forever.

Question from Peter G. from Facebook

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Author: mxcellanywriter

Edinburgh-based spoken word poet and musician.

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