TheBanyanTree: A POEM ABOUT FRIENDSHIP

[Sharon Mack]

Written to the prompt 1/26/04:  Free write about Friendship

Bonnie is my very best friend in the whole world and out of it!

Hey, Bonnie,

They want us to write about friendship!

Boy could we tell them a few things, aye?

All the years,

All the tears.

The crazy times like when we circled the cul de sac yelling*..

What was that now?  Oh, yeah,  "C-I-R-CL-E!!!!!"


Gosh we were so young then.

The kids were little (or non-existent).

We were in the church together.

We were both married,

And Kari had just joined us in Baltimore.


Patrick wasn't even a thought in my head

(or in anybody else's).

There was just Philly.

You remember him,

You met him while he was still within.


Remember Peggy Woods?

Remember the school?

We both taught and then

I became princi-PAL

And you became princi-PAL of Vice.

Remember you standing up and introducing us like that in front of the PTA?

And it was a Christian Day School!!

Remember the day they closed it?

Remember the day I moved away?

Remember you moving

To the very same place I had come to stay?

Remember working for BCARC?

Remember having New Year's Eve there?

And the human pretzel and the coat rack?

Remember leaving because of the attack?

That was sad.


Remember when big Phil left?

Then I left.

Then we left the church.

First you,

Then me, 

You dreamt it.

Then Jeff left.

Remember the first guy (ick)!

And think about Bob...nice.


And look at our kids.....

All grown up.

They've become good citizens.

Each and every one of them.

We have one at Wal-Mart, an excellent and true-blue person.

Another at Black & Decker, a real go-getter making tons of money.

Another at the family appliance store,

And of course Philly in the Coast Guard,

And Patrick (the perforation baby) an excellent musician,

Who will become famous,

And take care of us in our old age

In the way to which we would like to become accustomed.


We have grandchildren.

They're yours as much as mine.

You helped to raise the children.

You stood in their father's stead so often.

You housed us and fed us when we had nowhere to go

And nothing to eat.

You always accepted us just as we were.

Me with my crazies

And you with your tackys.


Remember when my head finally broke?

When my soul poured out and there seemed to be nothing left?

Remember them taking me away for my own good in the police car?

Remember the emergency room and the towel over my head?

And the poor nurses who had no idea

Even though you tried to tell them.

And remember Philly asking me to stay and get well?

His eyes so huge and so brown 

And filled with so much love for me.



I think about when we lived next door to each other in the duplex 

And the boys threw each other down the steps.  

You never flinched.  

I screamed my head off.

Remember the spades?

Remember the hearts?

Remember we played them with Pastor Freeman 

And his wife Laurie

and the men cheated*.ALL the men!

Remember UNO and the kids said you cheated*

And you told them not unless you said so.

You said so!

Remember when Kari babysat

And let Patrick climb the shelves in the pantry

Just to see what would happen?

Remember all the crystal that broke!?

Not to speak of the kid.

Remember when the upstairs apartment fell into your apartment?

Remember how cold and wet it was before you could move out?


Remember the books we've read?

And remember how we were going to write that smutty novel together

To make a lot of money like Danielle Steele.

All the ups and downs.

All the life,

All the death,

Your parents,

Mine,

Paulie.

And yet here we are

In our twenty-sixth year

Still laughing and talking

Like we just met.



I love you, Bonz!

Don't ever go away.

I would miss you too much

And then I would have to follow you.

To wherever you go!

Like you followed me

So long ago!


Sharon
2004