To My Friend, With Love

All is still; all quiet;
The world seems to be at peace.
My soul is singing its rhythmic melody
And I'm led like in a trance to write its tunes.
The lyrics are for you.
The essence of friendship.

I have what so many people in this world
Yearn so desperately for: a friend.
A friend who's closer to me than skin
And worth more than life itself.

You have shared in my pain, as has no other
And touched my wounded spirit
With tender expressions of compassion.
Your heart bled when you felt my grief;
Your empathy and sensitivity
Transmitted affection no words ever could.

Your unfailing loyalty has been inexhaustible,
Regardless of what it may have cost you
Personally.
You have made great sacrifices
On my behalf
Unconditionally.

You accepted me as I was and am;
Appreciating my strengths,
Challenging my weaknesses,
Guarding my vulnerabilities,
Accepting my imperfections,
Valuing my humanity.

You have buttressed the arrows
People often shot in my direction;
Willingly absorbing suffering
Meant for me.
Adversaries tried to put a wedge between us
To no avail;
Our friendship too secure,
Our commitment too strong

Our friendship has been tested
In so many diverse ways,
But we have a love and strength of will
That refuses to let go.
Though sometimes charred, we healed,
And discovered a closer union in the process.

I'm possessive of our friendship
Because I know how rare it is
And how difficult to find
And keep.

You have earned the greatest title
That can be bestowed
Upon any human being.
The title of: Friend.

In friendship honor of Marjorie K. Thomas

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi%3Ff%3D/c/a/2008/11/21/DDVU147VA9.DTL%26type%3Dartcid=1273140927ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNGPEKHv07UddAkn4hz-heaQbezaygbPoetry/b on canvas/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Francisco Chronicle,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1At the gallery, an area has been set aside so that visitors can work on their own portraits or bpoetry/b. Bay Area Video Coalition student Jonathan Wong b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-finkel--obitnov22,0,2550511.storycid=0ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNGiGiMn_PAoSGCMNfK5J9ruCdhSzgIlluminated bpoetry#39;s/b possibilities/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fChicago Tribune,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Donald Finkel, an American poet whose work teemed with curious juxtapositions that helped illuminate the function of bpoetry/b itself, died on Nov. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/14/AR2008111401691.htmlcid=0ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNHOIpgjv-fLwJ1qFah8oX0jBM3bmwThe bPoetry/b of Pain/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWashington Post,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1She performs bpoetry/b and teaches it to children all over Maryland, inspiring almost everyone who hears her with her frank personal revelations and her b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3500734/Poet-laureate-options.htmlcid=1273350518ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNGbv_oXtsVWtVMunXoKTnOGw-6mTgPoet laureate options/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTelegraph.co.uk,nbsp;United Kingdomnbsp;-/font nobr27 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Michael Prodger, Literary Editor Fenton comes with an unimpeachable poetic pedigree: at Oxford he won the Newdigate Prize for bPoetry/b, which puts him in b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3500781/Public-to-be-given-say-in-selection-of-poet-laureate.htmlcid=1273350518ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNEImW7jYDhQFSrzmxDNjSKo4r8wPQPublic to be given say in selection of poet laureate/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTelegraph.co.uk/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1273350518hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2008/11/22/arts_and_entertainment/doc4927108a126b7181527204.txtcid=0ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNHoJFPdkv9lklD_SULHQEK28xUskQCarlisle, Davidson tops in bPoetry/b Out Loud/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fGulf Coast Newspapers,nbsp;ALnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Students Thursday raised the roof for Spanish Fort High School’s bPoetry/b Out Loud competition. Nineteen students recited bpoetry/b for a chance to compete in b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20081122/NEWS/811220321/1001cid=0ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNETGee2Hx-vZqPAeSC7B9PnBlrH-wbPoetry/b contest open to K-12 students/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fStatesman Journal,nbsp;ORnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Salem — Students in grades K-12 may enter a state bpoetry/b contest by the Oregon State bPoetry/b Association. Students may enter four grade-level divisions. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Candia-Author-Publishes-Contemporary-Book/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BE7A75DEF-7FF1-4B59-99D3-14B35C4973B7%257Dcid=1272354033ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNFr1avcqEIZSPT0L1oS34LuzKYx8QCandia Author Publishes Contemporary Book of bPoetry/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrNov 19, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The bpoetry/b featured in his new release covers topics such as abuse, nature, the Civil War, and thunderstorms. Redic thinks good writing should ask the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.pr.com/press-release/118141cid=0ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNFw5WzNfOz4vD8JRn8Epsh987s-FwThrough the Thicket Press: the Beginning of a New bPoetry/b Era/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR.com (press release),nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1One day this writer decided to make it a reality, and she did so by simply creating an online press and publishing her first e-book of bpoetry/b, Entanglement. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20081120/ENTERTAIN/811200387cid=1272561914ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNE-G_gJaFH2Na-JVxUqrGK4md0U1gBooks amp; bPoetry/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSouth Coast Today,nbsp;MAnbsp;-/font nobrNov 20, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bPoetry/b writing workshops: The Bartleby Scrivener bPoetry/b Group meets, 6:30 pm first Mondays. Bring 12-15 copies of an original poem to critique. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.times-news.com/entertainment/local_story_326113801.html%3Fkeyword%3Dtopstorycid=0ei=RX0oSejoH6KO6APrqsyIBwusg=AFQjCNGHypAXUbF-f-hT_m2kKm9aApNA_AbPoetry/b, Music, Dance/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fCumberland Times-News,nbsp;MDnbsp;-/font nobrNov 21, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Bowman, who has a longtime interest in the period and a background in theater, has planned an evening that will feature students performing bpoetry/b, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
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