Goodbye My Friend
A poem to my best friend now gone
He sat in front of me in third grade.
We swore to be friends until we died.
We shared a room in college and were never as smart as we thought we were.
My best man, his best man, godfather to his son, godfather to my daughter.
Same town, same friends, nothing ever changed but us,
slower, older and gray as nuns.
Late night drinks, old stories and twenty-one again after two drinks.
Our friends faded around us but we were going to live forever.
He called late, cancer he said, the doctor told him get his affairs in order.
What can I do old friend, what do you need?
Bring a bottle of whiskey, we need to talk.
The sun rose as we sat on his deck, side by side, still talking, ignoring tears.
I kissed him on the head an hour before he died.
My hand was on her shoulder as she held his hand, then he was gone.
I gave the eulogy I promised him,
telling a story told a thousand times, one last time.
