I Miss My Friend

2001 COPYRIGHT
BY PETER CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND

REMEMBER THE IMPORTANT THINGS ON WHICH WE COULD AGREE
WHEN OUR FRIENDSHIP WAS STRONG AND YOU LED THE MINISTRY
PROMISES AND RESOLUTIONS LIVED AND WERE WARM ON MY LIPS
THERE WAS JOY AND DYNAMISM TO OUR GLOWING SISTERSHIP
WE SHARED A ROOM AND A SCHOOL AND HELPED EACHOTHER TO GROW
AND I STILL FELT STRONG IN MY HEART WHEN I LET YOU GO
SOMETHING YOU HAD DREAMED FOR YEARS HAD BECOME YOURS
YOU WERE THROUGH WITH SCHOOL AND HAD PASSABLE SCORES
AND GOALS YOU HAD LABORED TOWARD WITH A MONTHS LONG WAIT
WERE YOURS AT LAST TO TAKE HOLD OF SO YOU DID NOT HESITATE
WHEN WOULD I EVER WALK WITH YOU OR HUG YOU AGAIN
I WAS ALONE WITHOUT A BEST FRIEND WITH MY CONVICTIONS TO DEFEND
SOMETIMES I THINK I WAS STRONG WITH YOU BECAUSE YOUR FAITH SUSTAINED US BOTH
WHEN I WAS WEAK YOU DISCIPLED ME BACK AND REMINDED ME OF MY OATH
I COULDN'T SURVIVE THE CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP
SHE BECAME MY BEST FRIEND AND WITH HER MY COMMITMENT SLIPPED
SHE WASN'T STRONG HERSELF AND SHE WAS FAILING IN SPIRITUAL HEALTH
AND SOON WE SHIFTED THE FOCUS FROM GOD AND PONDERED OUR FINANCIAL WEALTH
SHE LEFT INTO THE SINGLES AND MINISTRY WAS MINE TO LEAD
BUT I WAS PREOCUPPIED WITH PAYING MY RENT AND ACADEMIC NEEDS
THEN QUIETLY THAT WINTER I WAS RELIEVED OF MY POSITION
YOU'D ONLY BEEN GONE A FEW MONTHS YET I'D LANGUISHED IN THE TRANSITION
THEN WITH A PLANTING IN MILAN WITH MY FORMER DISCIPLER UNDERWAY
I DOOMED MYSELF WITH THE DECISION TO GIVE UP AND FALL AWAY