The friend of your heart
will love you as the sky
loves the earth –
as wholly, as richly –
but that doesn’t mean
no clouds and no rain –
sometimes what we need to grow
into all we may be
is some darkness, a little storm –
and maybe even frost, as ivy berries
need before they can yield
their best dye-colours,
before the birds can eat them.
The friend of your heart
will love you as the river
loves the riverbed – each makes
and shapes the other, and each
exists in its own compass
because of how they meet.
The friend of your heart
will polish your rough stone edges
as you help his dream of himself
to take form.
The friend of your heart
will know that love is full
of comings and goings,
of stayings and leavings.
He will be wise to the tides
of friendship, its ebbs and slacks
as well as floods. He knows
how the cosmos cycles – its suns
and its moons. When
he has to go, he knows
that nothing lasts forever,
not even going; and he
will leave you a token,
in the way that the woodpecker
leaves its voice on the air
as it arrows back into forest.
The friend of your heart knows
how to make everywhere and everyone home.
will love you as the sky
loves the earth –
as wholly, as richly –
but that doesn’t mean
no clouds and no rain –
sometimes what we need to grow
into all we may be
is some darkness, a little storm –
and maybe even frost, as ivy berries
need before they can yield
their best dye-colours,
before the birds can eat them.
The friend of your heart
will love you as the river
loves the riverbed – each makes
and shapes the other, and each
exists in its own compass
because of how they meet.
The friend of your heart
will polish your rough stone edges
as you help his dream of himself
to take form.
The friend of your heart
will know that love is full
of comings and goings,
of stayings and leavings.
He will be wise to the tides
of friendship, its ebbs and slacks
as well as floods. He knows
how the cosmos cycles – its suns
and its moons. When
he has to go, he knows
that nothing lasts forever,
not even going; and he
will leave you a token,
in the way that the woodpecker
leaves its voice on the air
as it arrows back into forest.
The friend of your heart knows
how to make everywhere and everyone home.
Roselle Angwin
Hi Roselle
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this beautiful poem which so exactly captures the nature of a heart friendship. I really enjoyed this! Best wishes Sarah Jenkins
Lovely to hear from you, Sarah - and thank you!
ReplyDeleteBeatrice: Absolutely moving, marvellous, true and wise - THANK you, Ro!
ReplyDeleteLove Bxx
What the world needs now :) Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteB, and D, thank you both :-). B, you will no doubt remember my writing it, in the Buddha Garden on the Gardoussel retreat - seems like a whole season ago now in the British autumn! x
ReplyDeleteDear Roselle, thank you for the beautiful poem, and many happies for your birthday. You are the first Libran, I am the last. blessings. xx Lynn
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynn. And advance happy birthdays to you! xx
ReplyDelete