Am I a bad friend?
The world collapsed in a single breath,
A sudden, jagged line of grey,
And in the hollow ache of death,
I reached for light to find my way.
I held the phone with shaking hands,
A tether to the life I knew,
And spoke the words I couldn't stand—
The truth that tore my heart in two.
He didn't ask or hesitate,
He didn't offer empty air;
He met the sudden, crushing weight
By simply choosing to be there.
The work, the road, the plans he made,
Dissolved into the quiet dark;
He left the noise to come and wade
Through grief that left a jagged mark.
And as he walked inside my door,
The silence didn't feel so wide;
He held the pieces on the floor,
The moment that you left and died.
I never thanked him.
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Author:
Friendship (
Offline) - Published: May 31st, 2026 19:11
- Comment from author about the poem: When life gets overwhelming, I tend to stay in the dark and watch sad Hallmark movies, but today I watched several, which brought back a memory that I suppressed from the day I lost my love. I forgot that I called my best friend the moment Walter died, and he stopped everything he was doing, canceled his day, and scheduled things to be with me in my time of need. Am I a bad person for totally blanking this out of my head? I'm getting old. Do I have dementia? Why did I not remember it until now? Am I a bad friend?
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 17
- Users favorite of this poem: Paul Bell
Offline)
Comments6
Sad and very emotional. A loss that is hard to reconcile. Well written
Thank you
My pleasure my friend
No I can't believe you are a bad friend.A wondeful thoughtful poem from being lost to being a bad friend. Some deep introspection going on here.Made me think
Thank you
I suppose we can't, or don't always think of everything or everyone, when we have our own emotional times and a lot on our own minds.
I can do similar in sometimes only contacting folk in emergencies or needing something of them, though genuine needs.
Thank you
I've had a couple of run ins wherein I questioned my qualifications as a friend. Very relatable. Hard not to empathise with this. 🙏🕊️
Thank you
Friendship, hell no. ❤️ Grief does strange things to memory. Sometimes our minds focus so hard on surviving a moment that entire pieces of it get tucked away for years before resurfacing. Reading this, what struck me wasn't a bad friend...it was someone remembering an act of love that mattered enough to come back all these years later. And for what it's worth, you rock...No bad friend to be found in you...and so does that picture you paired with this. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Thank you
That what good friends do, they're there when needed.
I think after loss we tend to compartmentalise things, and it looks like this is what you've done.
Maybe a quick phone call and a catch up is needed.
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