Around the corner I have a friend
In this great city that has no end.
Yet the days go by and the weeks rush on.
And before I know it, a year is gone
And I never see my old friend's face,
For life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him as well
As in the days when I rang his bell
And he rang mine.
If we were younger then
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow," I say, "I will call on Jim"
"Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner! - yet miles apart.
"Here's a telegram, sir."
"Jim's died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.

I was helping my mom do springcleaning today. Imagine the tonnes of dust dug out from under my bed and you can probably know how deserts are formed. Anyway, I came across this little poem in my old organiser. I also remembered why I wrote it down. This is probably not the first time I'm saying this, but I am too passive as a friend. I procrastinate phonecalls, letters, emails. Argh, yes I know I am a sinner.

Coincidentally, I received an email today from an ex-classmate from 4/11, initially to ask about our upcoming class reunion, but she went on to talk about how we must keep in touch, and how we cannot allow ourselves to compare each other using social status standards. In her case, she will be studying music in university, definitely not a typical route taken by Singaporeans. As compared to the to-be-doctors, she would have a tougher route towards a Singaporean-standard success. Although I think she's gonna be great, I felt this chill thinking about the changes ahead of us.

Whatever it is, there are some friends I have now that I would really want to keep for life. I'm trying my best to keep in touch with them. Pray, I do not want to have a vanished friend around that corner.