Shadow, copper, silver, gold or rose
Again, before the light of sun and sky
The things of which we build our only home
Where the heart is, all alone, but for those
A shadow is the fleeting sort of friend
A thing unsure, yet treasured
A shadow dies in death of trust, not fire
Dies in loss of light, not poison ire
A copper coin is hard and real, and true
Worth little but the smile I show you
A thing of modesty, that does not shine
But treasured nonetheless by two
A silver shines as moonlight sweet at times
But at others is a knife, that twists inside
For only silver hides the fairest rose
And only silver tarnishes with time
But silver, like the starlight, kindly glows
Gold, the king of friendships, shines a fiery light
Bold, unsubtle, strong and steadfast at all times
Stable, nothing more or nothing less is gold
Every word you speak to a gold friend rhymes
A rose is rare, and treasure still despite its fleeting life
For sweet the harvest of a rose, a light that glints upon a knife
A rose can be the truest thing, truer still than gold
A rose can be the most of life that we can ever hold
Be wary of a rose, for roses wilt and die
Be wary more of a lonely rose, for roses bear rose-thorns
Be wary, ye of friends too many, or too few-
A rose will bring a time of plenty, or of misery to you
A friend is treasure greater than our coin
A treasure fairer still than silver or her brother gold
A thing more sacred than a lover\'s poetry or prose
The only measure of a man is how he is a friend
Be he shadow, copper, silver, gold or rose
For friends are all we have at life\'s last end
and a friendship only ever grows