The Shirt

Scout and I 

I wish to find in my own heart

on each cold and blustery day

Selfless meanderings of love

for those who helped me on my way

 

They walked with me most of my life

watered my soul to grow loves seed

Bore my pains within their own breasts

through the times of my deepest need

 

Count yourself a fortunate prince

to be able to name just one

For whom your welfare is indeed

a concern that is never done

They are to me like my old shirt

that I wear with great dignity

reminding me of my own worth

and hope for all humanity

 

Author's Note

I consider myself fortunate to have had a few good friends. I can count on one hand their number. This poem is meant for one in particular. Without whom I would not have made it to write this. Thank you Robyn! She gave me a certain Banana Republic shirt that I treasure. So count yourself a fortunate princess Robyn. Be assured I am one for whom your welfare will never be done. Being so scarce great friends are considered precious. The miracle many wish for is not in a life we missed. It lies within the life we have. And so friends give us the feeling that we are loved as much or more than we love others. Those few memories unlike most are the only ones we recall in color not black and white. This because they are associated with the colorful shirt that painted the brush strokes of our lives together and times apart.

Reviews

[Deviant Works]

Oh, I love this. I am also someone who cherishes my friends. Grateful in so many ways, knowing how special and rare they really are. Every time that they are there for me and I for them, every time we laugh or cry and talk for hours. Friends are priceless treasures. Wonderfully written poem, Tate. And I love the title. It suits this piece incredibly well.

[Norma M Sutton]

This is nice Tate. It's different from your usual style. I like it.

[Nicole (Carpe Diem)]

great piece of writing, the picture and song truly add to the specialness of the words you have written. nicely done.

[sweta'karman']

hey...pictures came alive...thanks..n it is niceeee.

[Stacey Watts]

This is so very powerful and beautiful. It is always nice to have friends to be able to rely on. This is very well written and a wonderful piece.

[Charles]

Absolutely great theme... moves along nicely with little redundancy. As usual, the meter and rhyming is perfect and I can ignore the missing apostrophes, given the punctuation-free nature of the poem. Nice effort.

[Coyote Poetry]

Your words are true. We have few friends in a life. It is sort of sad. We get too busy and lose opportunity to know people who may have the same needs and desires we have. I like the photo and the poem. A excellent poem. Thank you.
Coyote

[StacyPerry]

I enjoyed this, thank you hun....

[ice]

I am also fortunate enough to have a few very good friends...Love of the outdoors is the glue
that has stuck us together over many, many years...I have been too busy in the pleasent seasons of the year
for a long time, too busy for friends..that's a lame excuse...but when the ice comes on the lakes my phone rings, and back and forth exchange.begins.

"I hope that my anxieties
which come to haunt me day and night
Wont drown me with needs for new friends
leaving old ones to suffer blight

My only anxiety is that my time with them is so short..that stanza made me think of that.

I am proud of them, and I do wear them like an old shirt..even the roughest of them, that my wife is leary of, (" Ernie always has some kind of food in that scrufty beard") and would like to put in the laundry, and clean up a bit....

enjoyed

ice aka ford

[JanieB]

Very nice Tate.
I completely agree with your author's note. Treasure your friends like gold.

[Kelley]

Friends are great and I never forget mine.
Great poem Tate thanks for sharing.

Kelley