Begin a Friend, Turn an Enemy, End a Stranger

A 3 part poem about the evolution of certain kinds of relationships.

Begin a Friend

In regards to your friends
and how they identify
please ignore all the trends
so you are able to classify.

A friend that fits will always seem
to love you just right
though they’re not scared to scream
and will defend in a fight.

Again I say ignore the trends
that tell you where to look
on this quest to find a friend
there is no book.

Making a friend is a set process
I caution that you walk, not run
do not fret at slow progress
there is someone for everyone.

Turn an Enemy

One simple set of instructions
simply will not do
as I try and teach the possibility
of enemies to you.

Rarely does an enemy sprout
conveniently from the shadows
I and mine were very close
that did not stop what follows.

Any one thing can be the one thing
that sets two friends apart
there is nothing too big or too small
to break a human heart.

When we were friends is fresh in my mind
two crooked souls wandering alone
set apart from the rest of the world
we were searching for someone to call home.

I don’t remember what it was that cleanly tore
a huge rift between that person and I
nor was I prepared for what happened next
I had no signal, no sign.

It’s hard to keep track when it happens fast
it’s even harder to try and prepare
after spending years with someone so close
but suddenly they’re just not there.

Please open your heart and find a friend
and do not let this story sway you
while it’s possible for a friend to be an enemy
the reverse is also true.

End a Stranger

The thing about meeting a new person is
that you cannot ever truly predict,
where, how, or when you are to meet them,
there is no common logic or arithmetic.

A breath of fresh air, filled with crisp new scents,
you take it all in and try to comprehend them.
Sometimes the smell will be so exciting and intense,
they might lift you several feet, or knock you down ten.

They’re not always good, but you must accept the risk
that there could be something your connection unlocks.
Before moving forward, breathe and clench your fists
prepare for what’s inside the mystery box.

The tricky part is that a stranger is not always new,
and they often make you feel like something you forgot.
They can feel familiar, nostalgic, similar to déjà vu,
 like someone you don’t know, but you feel like you ought.

Now run through your memories, sort through the files,
it will take some time to figure out in the end
why there is something familiar about the stranger’s smile,
because it was something you could not comprehend.

The secret about strangers is that sometimes,
they actually started out as a friend.