Friends

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