PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

I’m never quite sure when I wake up where the spark of a new poem will begin

but the other day two old friend were talking

and a spark ignited while I had the privilege of listening in.

I’ve heard these two old friends talk many times…

after all…isn’t that what old friends do?

They talk about life, about friends, about children and grandchildren…

as they share a memory…or two.

And that’s the way this conversation was going…when suddenly…out of the blue…

one friend turned to the other and said, “Did you know…my first memory…was you?”

As I say I’ve heard many of their conversations over the years

but the the way these five words blended was new…

and I thought…how wonderful it must have been 

for one friend to say…and the other to hear

My first memory was you.

They grew up and are growing old together…these two old friends.

and in a lifetime of sharing words attached to their memories… 

I can’t imagine any of their words were more meaningful

or more beautiful..than these.

Yes, for years I’ve heard them speak comforting words to one another…

In times of joy…and even when their hearts were broken…

but I have never felt more lucky an honored 

than to be in the room when these five words were spoken.

I have been blessed to hear some beautiful words in my life:

I love you…

Congratulations your a father

Dad

PopPop

I do

And I’m happy to add to this wonderful list 

the words

My first memory…was you.

I hope someday we’re blessed to understand…

as we’re torn apart by the hate and anger we’re desperately trying to weather.

how love and friendship is the glue

that can hold the world together.

Some words have the ability to go beyond themselves…

to transform us…to transcend:

Who is the first person who enters your mind 

when you hear the words

my friend?

When you focus on those words for a while…

How many other faces do you see?

How many other friends are waiting to be acknowledged

as they line up in your memory?

When we reach into our memory 

and stoke those friendship embers…

the first thing we see are our friends’ faces 

but it’s the moments of friendship we remember.

We remember moments we have shared 

throughout the days and months and years

the joy, the laughter, the sorrow

the sadness and the tears.

We cherish those moments of friendship

and are thankful for how long their memories last…

keeping us close to friends who have moved away…

and others who have passed.

And when we think of friends still with us…still nearby

we are thankful…we’re elated

for the moments of friendship we will share

that have yet to be created.

So in those times when life slows down 

when we have some extra time to spend….

We’ll have so many moments to remember 

every time we hear the words…

my friend

If you are having difficulty dealing with something by yourself

a what, where, when or who

may you be blessed to have a friend…

who will sit next to you. 

Who will be there when your life

is troubled, sad…or blurred…

who will put their arm around you

without saying a word

And if someone you know is having difficulty 

dealing with a what, where, when or who

may they be blessed to find that friend

who’s sitting next to them

is you…

Reaching out

Enduring pain

Needing friends

Expecting

Entrusting

Missing social connection

Yet still hopeful

Finally a voice

Rather words in text

Indicating someone cared

Eagerly responding

New friend discovered

Dare to hope again.

May we all be blessed with a multitude of diverse friends…

for once a new fireship is unfurled

That person adds their own unique approach  

and beauty to our world.

And once we’ve welcomed in a new friend…

It matter not where or when…

Remarkably…

the world we knew before we met them 

will never be the same again.

It’s a lesson I learned in grade school that still echoes in my mind…

A lesson on the sadness and cruelty of prejudice…

and the joys of being compassionate and kind…

A large new student entered our close-knit world

and as was our cruel and childish rule of thumb…

immediately we had a name for him…we called him Big and Dumb.

I imagine we were a little intimidated and afraid of this big new kid in school… 

Why is it fear of someone different sometimes causes us to be cruel?

But once I got to know him…once I took the time to see

except for his enormous size…he was a lot like me!

Just like me he had his fears…his anxieties…his insecurities…

and just like me he liked his burgers with lots of ketchup and Swiss cheese.

He was smart and funny…we could always make each other laugh…

I helped him with English and he helped me with Math.

I was hesitant at first to to approach someone so different and unplanned…

but found acceptance and friendship easy once I took the time to understand.

It’s a lesson, if we’re lucky, we learn as children:

How our world is such a beautiful place to be…

and how what makes it beautiful…is it’s diversity.

If we’re blessed we learn from our childhood mistakes 

and leave behind us once and for all…

those times we acted out of fear and ignorance…

back when our minds were much to small.

For it is these lessons learned in childhood 

that contribute to the adults we will become…

helping us grow up big and smart…

instead of big and dumb.

It was a lesson I’m glad I learned early…much earlier than expected…

and I’ll always be grateful for the time when our two lives intersected.

8 minutes!

Doesn’t seem like much time does it.

It’s .8% of the time each day we are awake.

But 8 minutes in some cases…could be all the time it takes.

I heard a man tell a story about a dear friend of his

who told him about a time she felt lost and all alone

and how difficult it was for her to suffer through this time on her own.

The man said to his friend, “I’m sorry you went through such misery…

but I would have been there if you called….why didn’t you contact me?

She said, “I did contact you…check your phone…

It was last Tuesday…around noon.”

When he checked his phone…there was her message:

‘We should get together soon.’

He said, “This is the message you send me all the time.

How could I have guessed…

this message, the same as all the others…was different from the rest?”

Then he told her about an article he’d read a while back…

about how, when a person is struggling 

8 minutes of support is all they need to get themselves back on track.

So then and there they decided…if either sees this message

‘Do you have 8 minutes?’

on their phones or computer screens…

there will be no confusion…they’ll know exactly what it means.

I love this idea…

So from now on if I get a message from you that reads

‘Do you have 8 minutes?’

I’ll call you right back…they’ll be no reason to explain…

And if you get a message from me that reads

‘Do you have 8 minutes?’

I hope you’ll do the same.