Friends go in and out of people's lives,
Old and new, near and far, and yet
Removing former husbands, former wives,
Takes years of anger, sorrow, and regret,
Years of rage not easy to forget.
Still, one must remove them from one's heart
Even while sharing what's most dear,
Vanquishing one's pain with all one's art,
Embracing what one else could never bear.
Nor will one ever be completely clear.
Copyright by Nicholas Gordon. Free for personal or non-commercial use.