Not even time

A drizzle of sunlight through the roman blind,

the paper-shuffle of the daily grind,

you called and you said ‘come’ and so I came

to find out exactly how strong the flame

of friendship burnt, and burns after a time.

We all think that the intervening years

treat everyone the same,  a few extra tears

unique to our lives, give us too the cause

for unique laughter.  Except this, she draws

fatelines the same, same leaves in the dossiers.

But not each leaf was written in the same ink

some weird insert, some strangely broken link,

word or verse struck an oddly haunting note;

the flame burnt still, therefore this sudden thought-

she wrote for you an untoward suffering!

But step away and stop being overwrought

about this or that line that fate forgot;

maybe she varies the trials, victories

by type and time both, she brings us to our knees

the intensity the same, just different plots.

This be the salient verse, then, this the nub

that distance doesn’t alter friendship and love,

your happiness and sorrow still feel like mine -

this itself a lesson in triumph.  Even time

can’t control at will what rises and ebbs.