FRIENDSHIP IS A WONDROUS GIFT,

BUT MUCH DEPENDS

ON WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.

 

EVEN THE GREATEST GIFTS

MAY BRING DARK SORROW

AND THE LEAST OF GIFTS

MIGHT PRODUCE JOY

THAT NEVER WANES

FROM TIME OR USE.

 

FRIENDSHIP

CANNOT BE PURCHASED.

 

SUCH COMPANIONS MAY FLEE

LIKE A HIRELING SHEPHERD

AS SOON AS THE WOLVES OF LIFE

CHARGE

SNARLING

INTO THE MIDST OF THE FLOCK.

 

OR LIKE VILE PIRATES,

SHANGHAI YOU,

WORK YOU TO TATTERS

AND BONY FLESH,

 

THEN LEAVE YOU STRANDED

ON THE DESERT ISLAND

OF YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES

SOILED,

SHAMED AND LONELY.

 

TRUE FRIENDSHIP

MUST BE EARNED

AND THEN YOU MUST NEVER FORGET

THAT YOU DO NOT OWN

THAT FRIEND.

 

HE OR SHE

MERELY SHARES THE JOURNEY.

 

AND WHO BUT GOD

KNOWS FOR HOW LONG?

‘TILL DEATH DO US PART

OR HITHER AND YON,

HERE A SEASON

THEN GONE A SEASON.

 

UNTIL SOMEONE

CLOSES YOUR EYES

FOR YOUR FINAL JOURNEY.

 

FRIENDS COME

IN MANY SHAPES,

SIZES,

COLORS

AND LEVELS OF INTENSITY.

 

YOU NEVER KNOW

HOW LONG THEY’LL STAY.

 

TIME,

TRIALS

AND CIRCUMSTANCE

WILL PROVE

THEIR METTLE.

 

MANY START OUT SWEET

AND LATER BECOME STALE

OR SOUR.

 

THEN THERE ARE THOSE

WHO START OUT

TART AND CRISP,

BUT MELLOW

LIKE A FINE MERLOT

IN AN APPLE WOOD KEG.

 

OTHERS

HAVE UNIQUE FRAGRANCES

OF PERSONALITY

THAT BOND YOU

TO THEIR HEARTS

 

EVEN WHEN THE TIDES OF LIFE

BEAR THEM AWAY

TO DISTANT SHORES.

 

RARE

LIKE APPLES OF SILVER,

A FEW

BECOME TRIED

IN THE CRUCIBLE OF LIFE

TO STAND THE TEST

OF THE REFINERS FIRE,

 

OTHERS BECOME

MERE MEMORIES,

FLASHY 3 X 5 PHOTOS

IN YOUR SCRAPBOOK ALBUM

OF THE GOOD,

BAD

AND INDIFFERENT.

 

WTO  7.5.11

 From my book

Waysides along the Journey 2: white noise and stirring rhetoric

I posted this shortly after I received the sign-fleece and the direct answer came at 3:47 in the afternoon on Saturday as recorded in the Friendship Tower from Jesus 2 blog.