While the topic of love seems to dominate both classic and contemporary poetry, friendship has also been a popular theme for poets to ponder upon for centuries.
Friendship is an essential part of life; after all, where would we be without friends to help us through the tough times and cheer us on when the going is good? Friends stick by us, they challenge us, they support us, and they keep us sane.
So to celebrate true friendship, I’ve compiled a list of poems that remind us how important it is to nurture our relationships with those around us. Some of these poems are joyous celebrations of friendship, while others serve to remind us of how dark the world would be without it.
There are countless incredible poems on the theme of friendship, written by some of the world’s most revered and respected poets, so putting together this shortlist was not an easy task. I’ve tried to select ones that highlight the various aspects of both having a friend and being a friend.
Poems About Friendship
While the topic of love dominates both classic and contemporary poetry, poets have been cherishing the bond of friendship for centuries. Friends are there to handle us in our ups and downs, and this exceptional relationship deserves all the love and appreciation.
Below, I have compiled 40 amazing poems on friendship; have a look!
1. To All My Friends by May Yang
That I could be this human at this time
breathing, looking, seeing, smelling
That I could be this moment at this time
resting, calmly moving, feeling
That I could be this excellence at this time
sudden, changed, peaceful, & woke
To all my friends who have been with me in weakness
when water falls rush down my two sides
To all my friends who have felt me in anguish
when this earthen back breaks between the crack of two blades
To all my friends who have held me in rage
when fire tears through swallows behind tight grins
I know you
I see you
I hear you
Although the world is silent around you
I know you
I see you
I hear you
2. On Friendship by Kahlil Gibran
And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship.
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the “nay” in your own mind, nor do you withhold the “ay.”
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery us not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
3. It would be water by Kathy Engel
how it comes from the sky because I am dry because
I am thirsty reaching down for roots I can feel
& up for dream & because I need the wet the release
of flood but not too much that would have been the daily
April poem then I snuck into a little place for pasta talked
myself into believing I deserved a treat thinking I was
anonymous & there was Meena’s husband David with friends
eating & laughing we greeted awkwardly I stayed at my
corner table red wine & rigatoni all I could think about was
Meena’s thick shiny nearly black hair how I didn’t manage
to visit her that last year of illness although I said I would
she sent me poem & photo told about losing her hair
I said it looks beautiful short that I was thinking of cutting
mine don’t do it she said don’t cut your hair then she
was gone her photo in my office so anyone who enters
will know her poems moving around like waves tulip
stems high pitched elegant voice articulating
how the world begins & ends how verse continues
4. We Have Been Friends Together by Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton
We have been friends together,
In sunshine and in shade;
Since first beneath the chestnut-trees
In infancy we played.
But coldness dwells within thy heart,
A cloud is on thy brow;
We have been friends together—
Shall a light word part us now?
We have been gay together;
We have laugh’d at little jests;
For the fount of hope was gushing
Warm and joyous in our breasts.
But laughter now hath fled thy lip,
And sullen glooms thy brow;
We have been gay together—
Shall a light word part us now?
We have been sad together,
We have wept, with bitter tears,
O’er the grass-grown graves, where slumber’d
The hopes of early years.
The voices which are silent there
Would bid thee clear thy brow;
We have been sad together—
Oh! what shall part us now?
5. Love and Friendship By Emily Bronte
Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree—
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?
The wild rose-briar is sweet in spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?
Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly’s sheen,
That when December blights thy brow
He still may leave thy garland green.
6. True Friend by Ashley Campbell
A friend is like a star that twinkles and glows
Or maybe like the ocean that gently flows.
A friend is like gold that you should treasure
And take care of forever and ever.
A friend is like an angel that is there to guide you.
A friend is someone you can trust out of a few.
A friend is more than one in a million.
They are one in a ca-zillion,
And you, my friend, are very special
and so it is official.
7. Will You Ever? by Kaitlyn M. Yawn
I don’t think you will
Ever fully understand
How you’ve touched my life
And made me who I am.
I don’t think you could ever know
Just how truly special you are,
That even on the darkest nights
You are my brightest star.
You’ve allowed me to experience
Something very hard to find,
Unconditional love that exists
In my body, soul, and mind.
I don’t think you could ever feel
All the love I have to give,
And I’m sure you’ll never realize
You’ve been my will to live.
You are an amazing person,
And without you I don’t know where I’d be.
Having you in my life
Completes and fulfills every part of me.
8. Care And Happiness by Shishir
You came as a ray of light,
Made my life cheerful and bright,
Showering your affection over me
So that my face was full of glee.
Taking away my complete loneliness
And giving me back all the happiness
With a Midas touch of your care
To keep me away from despair.
I’ll never leave you midway,
And tales of our bond people will say.
9. O, My Friend by Edgar Lee Masters
O, my friend,
What fitting word can I say?
You, my chum,
My companion of infinite talks,
My inspiration,
My guide,
Through whom I saw myself at best;
You, the light of this western country.
You, a great richness.
A glory,
A charm,
Product and treasure of these States.
10. God Sends by Rosalie Carter
I think that God will never send,
A gift so precious as a friend,
A friend who always understands,
And fills each need as it demands,
Whose loyalty will stand the test,
When skies are bright or overcast,
Who sees the faults that merit blame,
But keeps on loving just the same,
Who does far more than creeds could do,
To make us good, to make us true,
Earth’s gifts a sweet contentment lend,
But only God can give a friend.
11. My True Friend by Abimbola T. Alabi
You always answer when I call
And help me up if I should fall,
But you never complain at all,
My true friend.
You confront me when I am wrong
But will never scold me for long,
Instead, you try to keep me strong,
My true friend.
You know the funny things to say
To make me laugh my fears away.
Like the sun, you brighten my day,
My true friend.
You see in me gifts I deny
And urge me to give things a try.
You spread for me my wings to fly,
My true friend.
You always perceive what I need
And offer it before I plead.
Just like a book, my mind you read,
My true friend.
You value little things I do
But won’t brag of what you do too.
How can I ever repay you,
My true friend?
And greatest of all I have found
When times are tough and I’m down,
You are the one who sticks around,
My true friend.
12. You Were There by Emily Robinson
When tears fell from my eyes,
you were there to brush them away.
When I was lost in confusion,
you were there to say that everything would be okay.
When I stood before you falling apart,
you were there to lend your heart.
When I felt like no one could understand,
you were there to take my hand.
When no one else was left to care,
you were there.
13. Best Friend by Mizscorpio
You are my best friend; you belong in my heart.
We go through ups and downs, but still nothing can tear us apart.
I know you as a sister, and I will always care.
Love, respect, and trust are the things we share.
I know you as a person; I especially know you as a friend.
Our friendship is something that will never end.
Right now, this second, this minute, this day,
Our sisterhood is here, is here to stay.
My friendship with you is special and true.
When we are together, we stick like glue.
When I’m in the darkness that needs some light,
When you’re by my side, I know things are all right.
Our friendship is so strong; it breaks down bars.
Our friendship is also bright, like the sun and the stars.
If we were in a competition for friendships, we would get a gold,
Because responsibility and cleverness are the keys we hold.
I met you as a stranger, took you as a friend.
I hope our long friendship will never end.
Our friendship is like a magnet; it pulls us together,
Because no matter where we are, our friendship will last forever!
14. Bonds of Friendship by Craig Burkholder
From the day that I first knew you,
Your heart was pure and kind;
Your smile was sweet and innocent,
Your wit was well refined.
The sparkle in your eyes was keen,
Your friendship fast and real;
Soft words were your virtue,
And humor your appeal.
We grew as friends together,
We laughed and shared our dreams;
Along the way crush or two,
Went unrevealed, it seems.
As years rolled on, our paths were split,
Our roads went separate ways;
We each pursued our interests,
That occupied our days.
We soon forgot our youthful bliss,
Of tender carefree years;
We didn’t talk or keep in touch,
Throughout life’s pain and tears.
Then my darkest hour came,
And tried me to my core;
To save my heart from ruin,
I closed and locked the door.
Then out of every nowhere,
With precise directed cue;
An old familiar smile,
Came slowly into view.
Although much time was gone,
And the die of fate long cast;
It was as if we hadn’t missed,
A second of the past.
You listened with attentive care,
And reassured my mind;
That loving hearts are still alive,
With purpose and design.
Deep inside I’ve locked way,
Emotions yet untold;
As time goes on, and bonds grow strong,
They will all unfold.
So thank you, friend, for taking time,
To demonstrate your love;
It’s yet another blessing that,
I’m undeserving of.
15. What Friendship Means by Tracie Labauve
Friendship means being there just to be there.
Friendship means listening and not asking questions.
Friendship means lending your shoulder for someone to cry on.
Friendship means being comfortable around each other in silence.
Friendship means being able to tell each other anything and understanding without questions.
Friendship means being honest with each other no matter what the cost.
Friendship means staying up all night and talking about nothing.
Friendship means being able to say I love you!
Friendship means forgiving each other no matter what you have done.
Friendship means learning from each other’s mistakes.
Friendship means me and you.
This is the way I look at you, my friend, and I love you!
16. A Broken Puzzle by Jessica M. Ward
When I found you,
I found me.
I was no longer alone;
I was put together.
There were no missing pieces.
We were the perfect puzzle.
Onlookers envied what we had.
We had so many beautiful memories
That they’re not even possible to forget.
That part of my life was my life,
The life I loved.
Then I lost you somewhere
Along the way.
There were no fights or disagreements;
Our puzzle just broke.
Piece by piece, it fell apart.
Soon it disappeared.
I’ve tried to get it back;
I’ve done everything.
The pieces of the puzzle
Just don’t fit together anymore.
I found your pieces reconnecting
With new pieces.
My pieces were left torn and shattered,
Alone in their box.
I just want one last look
At that beautiful puzzle we shared.
Even though it won’t help me get over the pain,
The pain that has ruled my life for months,
I just can’t close the cover to that puzzle box
17. Forever Friends by Amber Pence
The friendship we have is so rare to find.
We hate to see each other in a bind.
We have made each other laugh so hard we’ve cried.
We feel each other’s pain if we are hurt inside.
We always can find the right words to say
To help us get through any dreadful day.
We have told our darkest secrets with feeling no shame,
We will tell each other the truth, even if we are to blame.
Thinking of you not being here makes me feel so sad.
We will have to look back on our crazy memories to make us glad.
The miles between us can’t keep us apart,
Because we will keep each other close at heart.
18. Friendship Poem by Henry David Thoreau
I think awhile of Love, and while I think,
Love is to me a world,
Sole meat and sweetest drink,
And close connecting link
Tween heaven and earth.
I only know it is, not how or why,
My greatest happiness;
However hard I try,
Not if I were to die,
Can I explain.
I fain would ask my friend how it can be,
But when the time arrives,
Then Love is more lovely
Than anything to me,
And so I’m dumb.
For if the truth were known, Love cannot speak,
But only thinks and does;
Though surely out ’twill leak
Without the help of Greek,
Or any tongue.
A man may love the truth and practise it,
Beauty he may admire,
And goodness not omit,
As much as may befit
To reverence.
But only when these three together meet,
As they always incline,
And make one soul the seat,
And favorite retreat,
Of loveliness;
When under kindred shape, like loves and hates
And a kindred nature,
Proclaim us to be mates,
Exposed to equal fates
Eternally;
And each may other help, and service do,
Drawing Love’s bands more tight,
Service he ne’er shall rue
While one and one make two,
And two are one;
In such case only doth man fully prove
Fully as man can do,
What power there is in Love
His inmost soul to move
Resistlessly.
Resistlessly.
______
Two sturdy oaks I mean, which side by side,
Withstand the winter’s storm,
And spite of wind and tide,
Grow up the meadow’s pride,
For both are strong
Above they barely touch, but undermined
Down to their deepest source,
Admiring you shall find
Their roots are intertwined
Insep’rably.
19. Never Take Friendship For Granted by Catherine Pulsifer
Never take friendship for granted
Realize the blessing it is
It is worth more than money
It is a gift of life, always.
Friendship requires give and take
We can’t always have our way
We must learn to compromise
And everything will be okay.
Friendship stands the test of time
Friends help us when we are blue
And friends share the happy times
Cherish your friends who are true.
20. It Would Be Better by Eben E. Rexford
Oh, my friend, it would be better
If to those we love, we gave
Tender words while they were with us
Than to say them o’er a grave!
Many a heart is hungry, starving,
For a little word of love;
Speak it then, and as the sunshine
Gilds the lofty peaks above,
So the joy of those who hear it
Sends its radiance down life’s way,
And the world is brighter, better,
For the loving words we say.
Loving words will cost but little,
As along through life we go;
Let us, then, make others happy, —
If you love them, tell them so.
21. Work For Friendship by J. J. Thorne
The duties of friendship to perform,
Will keep our thoughts wide awake;
Make life true and warm,
For friendship’s sake.
Cursed is he that makes envy,
Lies, tattles, and fraternity break;
Speak in praise and speak the truth,
For friendship’s sake.
Love warms and never alarms,
Sweet as lilies of the lake;
Row your boat and gather charms.
For friendship’s sake.
If peace and harmony through human regard,
We desire to make;
We will work if it is hard;
For friendship’s sake.
In pursuit and plod for wealth,
Let honesty hold the stake;
Do not hate the man of stealth,
For friendship’s sake.
Live upright, honest and fair,
Give rather than take;
In brotherly love do you share?
For friendship’s sake.
22. Emblems Of Friendship by John Imrie
Friendship is a golden band.
Linking life with life,
Heart to heart, and hand to hand,
The antidote to strife.
Friendship is a silken cord.
Beautiful and strong,
Guarding, by each kindly word,
Loving hearts from wrong.
Friendship is a beacon-light
On life’s rocky shore,
Brightest in our darkest night
When the breakers roar.
Friendship is an iron shield.
Where life’s cruel darts
Ever may be forced to yield
Ere they wound true hearts.
Friendship is the gift of God.
Freely to us given,
As the flowers that gem the sod,
Or the light of heaven!
23. Us Two by A.A. Milne
Wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
Whatever I do, he wants to do,
“Where are you going today?” says Pooh:
“Well, that’s very odd ‘cos I was too.
Let’s go together,” says Pooh, says he.
“Let’s go together,” says Pooh.
“What’s twice eleven?” I said to Pooh.
(“Twice what?” said Pooh to Me.)
“I think it ought to be twenty-two.”
“Just what I think myself,” said Pooh.
“It wasn’t an easy sum to do,
But that’s what it is,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what it is,” said Pooh.
“Let’s look for dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“Yes, let’s,” said Pooh to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few-
“Yes, those are dragons all right,” said Pooh.
“As soon as I saw their beaks, I knew.
That’s what they are,” said Pooh, said he.
“That’s what they are,” said Pooh.
“Let’s frighten the dragons,” I said to Pooh.
“That’s right,” said Pooh to Me.
“I’m not afraid,” I said to Pooh,
And I held his paw, and I shouted, “Shoo!
Silly old dragons!”- and off they flew.
“I wasn’t afraid,” said Pooh, said he,
“I’m never afraid with you.”
So wherever I am, there’s always Pooh,
There’s always Pooh and Me.
“What would I do?” I said to Pooh,
“If it wasn’t for you,” and Pooh said: “True,
It isn’t much fun for One, but Two,
Can stick together, says Pooh, says he. “That’s how it is,” says Pooh.
24. To Me, Fair Friend, You Never Can Be Old (Sonnet 104) by William Shakespeare
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I ey’d,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold,
Have from the forests shook three summers’ pride,
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn’d,
In process of the seasons have I seen,
Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burn’d,
Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green.
Ah! yet doth beauty like a dial-hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceiv’d;
So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand,
Hath motion and mine eye may be deceiv’d:
For fear of which, hear this thou age unbred:
Ere you were born was beauty’s summer dead.
25. A Poison Tree by William Blake
“I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath; my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I waterd it in fears.
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole,
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretchd beneath the tree.”
26. A Friend, by Gillian Jones
A person who will listen and not condemn
Someone on whom you can depend
They will not flee when bad times are here
Instead, they will be there to lend an ear
They will think of ways to make you smile
So you can be happy for a while
When times are good and happy thereafter
They will be there to share the laughter
Do not forget your friends at all
For they pick you up when you fall
Do not expect to just take and hold
Give friendship back, it is pure gold.
27. A Time to Talk by Robert Frost
When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don’t stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven’t hoed,
And shout from where I am, What is it?
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.
28. Friends For Life by Angelica N. Brissett
We are friends.
I’ve got your back,
And you have mine.
I’ll help you out
Anytime!
To see you hurt,
To see you cry,
Makes me weep
And wanna die.
If you agree
To never fight,
It wouldn’t matter
Who’s wrong or right.
If a broken heart
Needs a mend,
I’ll be right there
Till the end.
If your cheeks are wet
From drops of tears,
Don’t worry,
Let go of your fears.
Hand in hand
Love is sent.
We’ll be friends
Till the end!
29. The Arrow And The Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth; I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak.
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
30. 1383 by Emily Dickinson
Long Years apart – can make no
Breach a second cannot fill –
The absence of the Witch does not
Invalidate the spell –
The embers of a Thousand Years
Uncovered by the Hand
That fondled them when they were Fire
Will stir and understand
31. Your Catfish Friend by Richard Brautigan
If I were to live my life
in catfish forms
in scaffolds of skin and whiskers
at the bottom of a pond
and you were to come by
one evening
when the moon was shining
down into my dark home
and stand there at the edge
of my affection
and think, “It’s beautiful
here by this pond. I wish
somebody loved me,”
I’d love you and be your catfish
friend and drive such lonely
thoughts from your mind
and suddenly you would be
at peace,
and ask yourself, “I wonder
if there are any catfish
in this pond? It seems like
a perfect place for them.”
32. With A Friend by Vivian Gould
I can talk with a friend
and walk with a friend
and share my umbrella in the rain.
I can play with a friend
and stay with a friend
and learn with a friend
and explain.
I can eat with a friend
and compete with a friend
and even sometimes disagree.
I can ride with a friend
and take pride with a friend.
A friend can mean so much to me!
33. Having a Coke with You by Frank O’Hara
(Having a Coke With You)
is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt, you look like a better, happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o’clock light, we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles
and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
I look
at you, and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway, it’s in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together for the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home, I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal, a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter, Marino Marini, when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully
as the horse
it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me, which is why I’m telling you about it
34. Alone by Maya Angelou
Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
There are some millionaires.
With money, they can’t use
Their wives run round like banshees
Their children sing the blues
They’ve got expensive doctors
To cure their hearts of stone.
But nobody
No, nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Now, if you listen closely.
I’ll tell you what I know
Storm clouds are gathering
The wind is gonna blow
The race of man is suffering
And I can hear the moan,
‘Cause nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.
Alone, all alone
Nobody, but nobody
Can make it out here alone.
35. I Knew A Man By Sight by Henry David Thoreau
I knew a man by sight,
A blameless wight,
Who, for a year or more,
Had daily passed my door,
Yet converse none had had with him.
I met him in a lane,
Him and his cane,
About three miles from home,
Where I had chanced to roam,
And volumes stared at him, and he at me.
In a more distant place
I glimpsed his face,
And bowed instinctively;
Starting he bowed to me,
Bowed simultaneously, and passed along.
Next, in a foreign land.
I grasped his hand,
And had a social chat,
About this thing and that,
As I had known him well a thousand years.
Late in a wilderness
I shared his mess,
For he had hardships seen,
And I a wanderer been;
He was my bosom friend, and I was his.
And as, methinks, shall all,
Both great and small,
That ever lived on earth,
Early or late their birth,
Stranger and foe, one day each other know.
36. Old Friends by Edgar Guest
I do not say new friends are not considerate and true,
Or that their smiles ain’t genuine, but still I’m tellin’ you
That when a feller’s heart is crushed and achin’ with the pain,
And teardrops come a-splashin’ down his cheeks like summer rain,
Becoz his grief an’ loneliness are more than he can bear,
Somehow it’s only old friends, then, that really seem to care.
The friends who’ve stuck through thick an’ thin, who’ve known you, good an’ bad,
Your faults an’ virtues, an’ have seen the struggles you have had,
When they come to you gentle-like an’ take your hand an’ say:
‘Cheer up! we’re with you still,’ it counts, for that’s the old friends’ way.
The new friends may be fond of you for what you are today;
They’ve only known you rich, perhaps, an’ only seen you gay;
You can’t tell what’s attracted them; your station may appeal;
Perhaps they smile on you because you’re doin’ something real;
But old friends who have seen you fail, an’ also seen you win,
Who’ve loved you either up or down, stuck to you, thick or thin,
Who knew you as a budding youth, an’ watched you start to climb,
Through weal an’ woe, still, friends of yours an’ constant all the time,
When trouble comes an’ things go wrong, I don’t care what you say,
They are the friends you’ll turn to, for you want the old friends’ way.
The new friends may be richer, an’ more stylish, too, but when
Your heart is achin’ an’ you think your sun won’t shine again,
It’s not the riches of new friends you want, it’s not their style,
It’s not the airs of grandeur then, it’s just the old friend’s smile,
The old hand that has helped before stretched out once more to you,
The old words ringin’ in your ears, so sweet an’, Oh, so true!
The tenderness of folks who know just what your sorrow means,
These are the things on which, somehow, your spirit always leans.
When grief is poundin’ at your breast — the new friends disappear
An’ to the old ones tried an’ true, you turn for aid an’ cheer.
37. Ode To Friendships by Kayla Rae Pich
Friends…
They’re the few people who accept silence over conversation.
A relationship like this denies silly promises and persuasion.
You don’t feel the need to second guess thoughts or measure words.
Their love comes in wholes, not halves, not thirds.
They’re the ones that guide you through when fate takes a turn.
Fights, small and large, end in forgiveness, never a burn.
You forget about first impressions and the feelings they brought.
You’re grateful for who they are, and you forgive ’em for what they’re not.
38. The Friend by Matt Hart
The friend lives half in the grass
and half in the chocolate cake,
walks over to your house in the bashful light
of November, or the forceful light of summer.
You put your hand on her shoulder,
or you put your hand on his shoulder.
The friend is indefinite. You are both
so tired, no one ever notices the sleeping bags
inside you and under your eyes when you’re talking
together about the glue of this life, the sticky
saturation of bodies into darkness. The friend’s crisis
of faith about faith is unnerving in its power
to influence belief, not in or toward some other
higher power, but away from all power in the grass
or the lake with your hand on her shoulder, your hand
on his shoulder. You tell the friend the best things
you can imagine, and every single one of them has
already happened, so you recount them
of great necessity with nostalgic, atomic ferocity,
and one by one by one until many. The egg birds whistle
the gargantuan trees. The noise rock fall twisted
into each other’s dreams, their colorful para trooping,
their skinny dark jeans, little black walnuts
to the surface of this earth. You and the friend
remain twisted together, thinking your simultaneous
and inarticulate thoughts in physical lawlessness,
in chemical awkwardness. It is too much
to be so many different things at once. The friend
brings black hole candy to your lips and jumping
off the rooftops of your city, the experience.
So much confusion — the several layers of exhaustion,
and being a friend with your hands in your pockets,
and the friend’s hands in your pockets.
O bitter black walnuts of this parachuted earth!
O gongbirds and appleflocks! The friend
puts her hand on your shoulder. The friend
puts his hand on your shoulder. You find
a higher power when you look.
39. How Many, How Much? by Shel Silverstein
How many slams in an old screen door?
Depends how loud you shut it.
How many slices in a bread?
Depends how thin you cut it.
How much good inside a day?
Depends how good you live ’em.
How much love inside a friend?
Depends how much you give ’em.
40. The Best Of Friends by Jill Wolf
The best of friends
Can change a frown,
Into a smile,
when you feel down.
The best of friends,
Will understand
Your little trials,
And lend a hand.
The best of friends,
Will always share,
Your secret dreams,
Because they care.
The best of friends,
Worth more than gold,
Give all the love,
A heart can hold.
Conclusion
Friendship is one of the most wonderful parts of being alive. These incredible poems serve as a reminder to treasure our friends and never take them for granted.
What are your favorite poems about friendship? Let me know in the comments below!