Poetry Friday — Friends

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Recently, one of my mama friends told me about a conversation she’d had with her daughter. 
They’d discussed why we’re all attracted to different people and, in particular, what characteristics they truly treasured about their individual best buds.

I was inspired.

So, yesterday evening, my small one and I walked the dog and chatted.

Isn’t it funny, I said, how in this whole wide world full of people we all, magically, find these certain folk to be our friends?

Yep, she said, I’ve got a lot of friends. And it went from there. 

I discovered that she really likes people who are kind and funny. 
Bottom line. 
Not actually all that different from my bottom line.
I mean, if you can’t have a laugh now and again, life’s going to be a long slog.

And speaking of funny.
Here’s my favorite moment from our conversation:

Well, I think my favorite thing about C. is how nice she is.

I agree, honey. She is really a kind, good person.

Yeah, like one time I almost killed her hermit crab, Mama. I dropped it between two seats in the car and it could have gotten crushed or cut in half. It almost did. And C. wasn’t even that mad. 

Wow, I said.

Yeah, she said. Especially when the hermit crab wasn’t really killed.

Right, I said. That is really nice, I said. 

(Hard to know how else to respond to all that.)

So today, in honor of all the quirky and peculiar little intimacies and reasons we have for pairing up with who we do, here’s a little ditty by Richard Brautigan. Happy Friday, friends…

Your Catfish Friend  
by Richard Brautigan 
If I were to live my life 

in catfish forms

in scaffolds of skin and whiskers 

at the bottom of a pond 

and you were to come by 

   one evening

when the moon was shining 

down into my dark home

Read the rest here…

32 Responses to “Poetry Friday — Friends”

  1. Anonymous

    TadMack says: 🙂

    That’s one of my favorite friendship poems — because honestly — how often do you get to write about catfish?

  2. Anonymous

    Aww…

    True dat, TadMack. It kind of reminds me of that whole thing about lobster soul mates on Friends. Thanks, Liz, for sharing it.

    ~eisha

  3. jamarattigan

    Had not seen this one before, and love it — how wonderful to have a catfish friend stand at the edge of my affection.

    Now I know why I have whiskers.

  6. kellyrfineman

    I’d love you and be your catfish
    friend and drive such lonely
    thoughts from your mind
    and suddenly you would be
    at peace

    Oh, how truly lovely. Thanks for sharing the story in the post and the poem, Liz!

  7. cloudscome

    I think this is a new one for me and I really like it. How nice to know there might be a catfish friend just waiting under the moonshine. I’ll hang onto that thought.

  8. saralholmes

    My daughter used to babysit for three girls, and the youngest would always insist that she was going to be a catfish when she grew up. I bet she did, too. 🙂

  11. Anonymous

    I have always loved catfish and now even more! smile.

    xo,
    shannon