Friendship

Old Friends

The new friends may be richer, an' more stylish, too, but when
Your heart is achin' an' you think your sun won't shine again,
It's not the riches of new friends you want, it's not their style,
It's not the airs of grandeur then, it's just the old friend's smile,
The old hand that has helped before, stretched out once more to you,
The old words ringin' in your ears, so sweet an', Oh, so true!
The tenderness of folks who know just what your sorrow means,
These are the things on which, somehow, your spirit always leans.
When grief is poundin' at your breast — the new friends disappear
An' to the old ones tried an' true, you turn for aid an' cheer.
Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/old-friends-by-edgar-guest

Click here to hear Simon and Garfunkel's 'Old Friends'

Love and Friendship

by Emily Bronte

Love is like the wild rose-briar,

Friendship like the holly-tree —

The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms

But which will bloom most constantly?

The wild-rose briar is sweet in the spring,

Its summer blossoms scent the air;

Yet wait till winter comes again

And who will call the wild-briar fair?

Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now

And deck thee with the holly’s sheen,

That when December blights thy brow

He may still leave thy garland green.

A Time to Talk 

by Robert Frost

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk,

I don't stand still and look around

On all the hills I haven't hoed,

And shout from where I am, 'What is it?'

No, not as there is a time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-end up and five feet tall,

And plod: I go up to the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

I have a wonderful book of photos, 'Friendship' (ISBN 0-733615-59-7) and in the introduction Maeve Binchy says, "...good times made better and bad times forgotten due to the healing magic of friendship." During the past year's 'bad times' my friendships have been more important than ever, and in this current third lock-down I am making a point of contacting old friends, even those I haven't heard from, or been in touch with for a while. Some of my dearest friends (like Gill above) are those from school, known since I was 11-years-old. I think I agree with Edgar Guest (above) that it's the old friends you turn to when 'grief is poundin' at your breast' and with Emily Bronte that, perhaps, there's more constancy in friendship than love. 

I've got friends from every stage in my life, some close by, but many scattered far and wide across the globe. The wonders of social media and the internet make it possible for me to keep in touch with most of them, although I prefer to put pen to paper if I can. It is so uplifting receiving a hand-written note through the post. I really miss not being able to hug friends at the moment. I'm not even sure we're allowed, as Robert Frost did (above), to go and chat with a friend who calls to us from the road (maybe with masks and socially distanced?!). 

Writing Prompts:

• Cicero said, "A friend is, as it were, a second self." Do you have a 'second self'? Write about him or her.
• 'Love' and 'Friendship' - in your life, which has been the more constant?
• Write about a time in your life when grief was 'poundin' at you breast' and you were helped by a friend.
• Do you have an old friend that you have known for years? Write about that friend and why you think your friendship has stood the test of time.
• "A friendship can grow on the most unlikely and barren ground." (Maeve Binchy) Write about a friendship that perhaps started in an unexpected place, or is with someone from a totally different background. What makes it special?
• Choose one good friend and write them a letter. It can be to someone living or dead. Post the letter if you like.