A Friend in Me

Evening View from Campsite 44 - Cobscook Bay State Park, ME

 

This piece came over the past few days. It was easy and difficult to write, has unfolded as the day Barry and I were married approached. 

I smile with memories of our garden wedding 44 years ago, the years we shared together as a family, and the joy I access in my life now. I hold gently the residual ache of missing him these 21 years. 

A Friend in Me

Thoughtful eyes
that absorb, fathom, reflect.
Benevolent arms
that anchor, carry, embrace.
Kindred souls
that bond, fortify, balance.
This,
an attempt to capture
what we had,
what I miss.
This,
my way to ponder,
learn, heal, grow.
I know the Love we shared endures.
I see it in and around
waters, landscape, sky.
I sense it within my confines
and ever wider.
I honor it as tides shift
and I relax in my distinctive flow.
It’s the absence of day-to-day friendship
that dampens me now.
The tender touch
of hands held
as we took an evening stroll.
The shared joy
 of watching our amazing
children grow.
The quiet listening
 when things were hard
or confusing or hurtful.
These past few years
have contained much
that challenged.
It would have been easier,
so much less lonely,
had you been by my side.
I feel left
 with a lack of camaraderie,
baffled as to why
those who were close
have faded away.
I think it healthy now
to let the wondering wane,
take comfort in
the open-hearted,
beautiful friend
you found in me.

Sarah Carlson
June 27-29, 2023