Monday, April 23, 2012

Faithful Friends

Is there anyone who knows you better than
The people who helped you become yourself?
And once we settle on who we will be,
Should we seek to please others or ourselves?

I've long felt wary of the public figures
Who seem like they are always on stage,
And who must mold and fit their personas
Into the tastes of every audience of every age.

I have come home to be with the people
Who help me be who I was meant to be.
They have high expectations of themselves,
But they make no demands on me.

They are people of high moral fiber
Who live lives that are the message.
Sharing my questions and beliefs with them
Doesn't take great amounts of courage.

They listen to me with ears of love,
Fitting mine into their sets of beliefs,
Rather than accusing me of heresy,
Which still can bring me great grief.

I don't claim to be a good Christian
Because my life just doesn't measure up,
But we are so blessed that in this great universe
We have friends who drink from the same cup.

Not at the cups offered at the altars in church,
But at supper tables with foods we have cooked.
We do this in memory of the oneness of faithful friends,
This most sacred of bonds that is often overlooked.