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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Dying Friendship

The voice has changed
The tone, the look
Disinterest
I can smell it...

Conversation becomes
Burdensome obligation
Terse, insincere laughs
Tell it...

Looks of longing
At everything else
Everywhere else
But me...

Hasty flight
Quick departure
A perpetual need
To leave...

Always in a hurry
Hurtfully impolite...

Countless conversations
Cut short in spite...

Telling signs.
Telling times...

You don't have time for me,
I ain't got time for you...

*And so the friendship dies. (This last line is not a part of the poem).

22 comments:

B said...

This is always a sad experience, but maybe their time is up.

Will said...

yeah... it happens this way sometimes... it's one of the sadder parts of life i suppose...

Its Just Me - Daring to Dream said...

True friends are like diamonds, precious and rare. False friends are like autumn leaves found everywhere. Remember that some friends are meant to be in your life for a short time, some for a season and few for life...hope you are able to mourn the friendship that is slipping away but know another could soon be around the corner...

Wuthering said...

i think it's big of you to mourn this type of loss. admittedly i just keep on moving. i guess believing my heart only deserves the best.

Ruthi you only deserve the best.

Anonymous said...

Good thing is since you're a writer every life experience however bitter becomes a new story or song or poem. Sadly your poem is so good we can all relate to it.Sad but remember when one door closes another will open.

LADY ROOTS said...

Sistren Rutibelle,

May your heart and your hurts heal, quick quick time.

While I know you were writing about a dying friendship, I must tell you that when I was reading it, I felt the same devastating, sick feeling of realization that the man I loved then, loved me no longer. To guage the true power of your words, you would have to know the event that was so intensly re-visited, happened over 35 years ago!

Bless Up,
Lady Roots

zooms said...

I like this poem very much, because, whilst succinctly describing the sadness and pain associated with the death of a friendship, the last line
"I ain't got time for you..."
brings closure, resolve, hope and determination. Well done.

ruthibel said...

I'm so grateful for all the comments on this... especially considering that I had this poem stuck in drafts from las year and just never got round to posting it til yesterday...

I LOVE the responses tho, and appreciate the symapthies (my frenz shud take a lesson from my blog fam, lol)... sad to say tho, I'm not actually going thru anythin like this right now -_-

@Lady Roots... 35 years ago? Oh my. I sincerely hope all your hurts and wounds heal quickly as well... thanx for sharing

@Luce, Thanks hun, I know that! I really dont do the mope thing either. Did every body miss the last line? It's not mourning so much as it us acceptance of a fact and resolution to keep moving... (or so I thought when I wrote it)

ruthibel said...

@zooms: Ah! Thank you. I just posted a response along the same lines... It's closure. And I'm glad you caught the note of finality.

Rae said...

Nice one Ruthi. Really captures the full experience of the thing, like we're right there with you, feeling it.

LADY ROOTS said...

Sistren Ruthibelle,

I don't think we missed the last line. I think moreso, it was our desire to let you know we felt it for you, too. And, yes, thanks, mi dear, I am well over that and happy with the man I've been with for almost 30 years now.

It's just that I thought I fully overstood the concept of WORD, SOUND AND POWER, but your words brought back the emotions in such a strong flood that it resurrected the memory of the pain; the nearly fatal punch to the gut you feel when you finally acknowledge the loss of what you thought was a lifetime love.

It is your last line that reminds us all of the redemptive power of self. Yes, bawl out when our hearts hurt, but never let someone else's lack of love cause us to quail up in a corner.

You are a soul-touching word artist.

Bless Up,
Lady Roots

Angel said...

there's beauty in that pain. I could say those same things about a few "friends" of mine....

Mighty Afroditee said...

Lovely poem, RuthiB. I am goign through that right now with some of my friends.

Some I have made the effort to revitalise, for they are worth it, and I was the primary cause of the gradual demise, but some...I allowed to die a natural death, for it was time.

Poignantly penned.

ruthibel said...

@lady roots: mine yuh mek me blush wit comments like that...

@beth: couldnt we all, really? lol. cept they're our frenz and sumwhere inside we stil uv em... :)

@afro: yes. i believe in occasionally pruning the tree that is my relationships. It really does foster healthy growth.

Anonymous said...

I love this. Painful experience beautifully captured. Applause to you wordsmith!

Jdid said...

a so it go sometimes

Unknown said...

Yep, this happens to all of us. At least you got a great poem out of it.

Kel said...

So sad when this happens...I know it is a part of life, but still...
~K

Abeni said...

You have truly captured the end of friendships.When my friend from primary school moved away from me in second or third form it was devastating. However, we rekindled because we have so many memories. Still there are others who have drifted and their absence still hurts.

ruthibel said...

You know, some wise person said that sometimes you have to let old things go so that new things can come in... life is like that, no?

laroper18 said...

Not sure if this is good or bad, but there's a lesson to be learnt. Can't quite say what it is though since I don't know it. But learn it well! And keep an open mind :-)

All the best!

Jovan said...

Loved this poem. You really described the painful signs well.. perhaps too well :(