Grieving a friendship that once was!
They haven’t left the earth, they haven’t died,
No silent grave, no flowers by a stone.
Instead, they walk the world with steady stride,
While I am left to grieve them, all alone.
It hurts more than the finality of breath,
To watch the ghost of someone still in view.
A living loss, a quiet, breathing death,
Where every old familiar word rings new.
I hear their voice, the cadence that I knew,
The laughter that once made me feel so safe,
Now twists into a question: Was it true?
A sudden chasm where I used to gaze.
The one to whom I ran when days were dark
Is now the very storm I need to flee.
They strike the match and watch the questions spark,
And leave me doubting who I used to be.
Was I valued? Was the friendship real?
Or was I just a character they played?
I try to touch the truth I used to feel,
Only to watch the memories start to fade.
I am not mourning just a broken tie,
Or missing hours that we used to spend;
I’m mourning understanding, asking why—
Grieving the stranger hiding in my friend.
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Author:
Friendship (
Offline) - Published: August 29th, 2026 08:20
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 36
- Users favorite of this poem: Tristan Robert Lange, Jabberwocky
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Comments8
A strong write of someone that you thought you once knew but now seems changed. Well written with good wording and rhyme it speaks to the question of whether they or oneself has changed. Nicely done
One must always ask if the change that causes the emotions is internal or external that is all I meant no affront intended. The poem is a very good one and presents its side well.
OKay thank you
Most welcome
what you so eloquently describe happens more often than one might imagine & even if one could see or sense it happening over time, I do believe the impact can still be devastating and leave one feeling both bereaved and bereft .. Neville 🌻
Thank you
A poignant reflection on grieving a living friendship.
Thank you
You are welcome.
So good, Friendship 🕊️🙏🏻
Thank you
They haven’t left the earth, they haven’t died,
No silent grave, no flowers by a stone.
Instead, they walk the world with steady stride, While I am left to grieve them, all alone.
I LOVE that phrase - sums up the entire poem. Very impressive!
Thank you
That shift from safety to needing distance really got me. When someone you once trusted becomes someone you have to protect yourself from, it changes more than the friendship…it shakes your sense of what was real. Strong write, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
That was awesome. It really spoke to me.
My best friend abandoned me just after my wife left me. It hurt so much on top of the hurt I already felt. I still think of him, we were best friends for 37 years. Understanding how and why never came.
Thank you for making me feel less alone with that seldom expressed or understood grief.
it happens - but we need to learn from it, and move on, and not allow the other person to break or shake us - because people and relationships do change over time
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