Personal Favorite
Title: You Never Need to Hide from Me
Category: Poetry (friendship)
Date: 6/22/03


You Never Need to Hide from Me

I look at you
from a distance
and you don’t see me watching.
I see your tears fall.
I see you stare across the ocean
into the sunset,
just like in those old movies
you think I don’t know you like.
And the cool sand between my toes
reminds me that you want to be
cool, even cold;
steely.
But I heard about your fight
with your mother
from your bigmouth little brother.
And I heard what that friend of yours
said to you,
and the rumor that she started.
I know that friendship is broken.
And for some time now,
I’ve known that you were hurting.
I offered you my shoulder,
but you smiled and laughed,
called me silly
and said you were okay.
And only now,
when you think you’re alone,
finally, you let it out.
Isn’t it lonely?
If you’d only let me share with you
the comfort of
someone who cares.
You needn’t bear this burden alone.
I’ll share it with you
if you’ll let me.
I walk up from behind you.
I know you hear me,
but you do not turn.
I place my hand on your shoulder.
I hope you aren’t angry with me
for intruding.
You take it.
I sit beside you
and you lean on me.
You tell me all the things I knew already,
and some I didn’t.
And I listen in silence.
All I can offer is a hug.
But isn’t it better this way?
And for the first time in weeks
your smile looks genuine.
I hope the next time
you need comfort
you will come,
unafraid to show it.
And it won’t be so lonely
for so long.
You never need to hide from me.