Chapter One

Everyone needs at least one friend whom they can trust with his or her stories. Life's lessons are learned from making mistakes and sharing what we have learned with others. It is easy to share the comedies and even the love stories, but tragedies are difficult to bequeath to other people.

Friends have inspired the following poetic reflections. Through their stories, I have learned ways to lift myself above life's pain and heartbreak. I have a better understanding of how experiences allow us to heal and transform challenges into opportunities that will ultimately improve our lives and relationships. It is my sincere desire to honor these narratives shared by friends through poetry, while encouraging others to share their experiences in a similar manner.

A Friend ... A friend sent two poems, Reaching deep below the surface, Not skipping across the water Like goslings in surprise Or dunking briefly for morsels. She sent words that submerge Into the lower depths like a submarine As its crew scrubs out the belly Where it's lonely, dark, inescapable, So courageous. A friend sent two poems That spoke of stories, evoking Reality with ebbs and tides, Companion to honesty And like a mighty pelican, Her words make me dive With determination Not to come up empty. Wishbone A gift of a "wishbone" For changing age, She picked up a box, Opened it up And really, There was the bone, End to end; marrow stuck, Representing hopeful intent