Friendship

“I love you,” says he.
“I like you,” says she,
“But this just isn’t meant to be.”

Another says, “I’m falling,
Falling in love with you.”
She laughs and says,
“That can’t be true.
I don’t see why you’d say
Such a silly thing to me.”

Yet another passes by
She watches him with eager eye
And holds an adoring sigh
They spend their time
They talk and play
On this and that random day
Her heart leaps and joys abound
Until his voice makes this sound,
“You’re such a pal, a true friend,
I’m glad we had this day to spend
As friends. You’re a nice gal.”
She smiles, feigning happiness
But knowing she’s denied full bliss.
“I love having friends,” she tell him,
Laughs. Never hinting that she wishes,
Wishes vainly they were more,
Just a little more…than pals.
I won’t like him she resolves
But something in her still falls
For his crinkled eyes and ready grin,
But this is one heart too great to win.
After passing time with he,
Their jolly, merry company
Must end that day and so they part
And she leaves with him her breaking heart.

Then again she spies the first
And pity within her burst,
His sorrowing eyes plead to her gentle heart
“Please love me, do not part.”
She answers no his silent cry,
Knowing both their hearts hold high
A love that Beloved cannot requite
And so they speak of other things,
The hopes and pangs that Life brings.
She sorrow now she understands
But cannot give what love demands
And so they part with heavy beats
She wishes joy to his lengthen face
Then the second beau she meets.

He, more demanding than the first,
In many questions her submersed.
“Why aren’t we friends,
I thought we be,
Do you not enjoy my company?”
She squirms her foot and turns her lip,
And can’t quite meet his gaze.
Should I tell a lie
To spare him pain
What would it gain
To say that I
Despise his company?
“I’m busy now,
I don’t have time,
Life is crazy,
Much too quick,
I just don’t have time for friendship.”
She bites her lip; it bleeds at the half lie.
Chaotic life truly was,
But for friends she had some time
He just was one she’d spend it with,
The thought made her sick,
But her felling pricked
And made her say,
“Maybe, someday.
Sorry,” she sighed.
She hated that she lied.

Then man number three
Reentered upon the scene.
She watches him with a jealous eye
Stiffens her heart, refuses to cry.
I won’t like him she resolves
But with every smile
More she falls
And whisper grow within her heart
But never from her lips they’ll part
Because he said and always will
The words that sunk her hopeful thrill,
“You’re a great friend, truly a pal.”
Those words were to her dreams fatale
And so she hid her little heart
And watched him smile on all,
Wishing a dream that he would fall
And in his gentlest voice would call
Her more than friend
But she could not pretend
In more than dreams
But even then it seems
An impossibility that he should say
“Don’t go away,
But with me stay
Always, my love,
My forever friend.”