Kindred

Lives forged by experience, altered
by those who encounter
the same things at the same time.
Friendships mark our years, hold us
accountable to our humanity.
We discover most friends
mainly by accident. Circumstance
or circumspect, intimacy implied by
mere presence, accepted as we walk,
as we talk, as we see
the same things at the same time.
We come to trust,
offer what little we know, barter
our wisdom with that which may be
only an illusion of understanding.
An exchange in kind, shared
timidly at first. We are vulnerable,
to the same things, at the same time.
Kindred, courageous souls;
they too must confide, you try
to be worthy. With neither pride,
nor modesty, we place value on that
which lies before us.
Lives shift, locations change, yet
displaced by age, distance, or devotion,
a certain mercy keeps close
those whom exchange,
without further thought,
the same things at the same time.
We rediscover, even much later,
how friendship marks our time.

© 2019 j.g. lewis

TODAY IS
POEM IN YOUR POCKET DAY
Carry with you a favorite poem to share
with family, friends, co-workers,
cab drivers, yoga teachers, baristas,
politicians, cobblers, and panhandlers.
Total strangers will smile, children may
even clap, and you might get a hug or
the occasional laugh. Whatever you do,
however you dare, this is time to show
the world how poetry matters.

APRIL IS POETRY MONTH
what’s in your pocket?