why the heck are we friends?

One time, I remember, my bestfriend Lala and I were at SM North. She and her boyfriend were, at that time, celebrating their first ever "sort-of" anniversary. And she was sharing with me a poem that she had written for him. She wrote it down on my notebook since she didn't have a copy with her and anyway, she knew the poem by heart (haha, no surprise there!).

After reading it, I asked her to explain to me what she meant with her metaphors and personifications and figures of speech.

When she was done, I inquired of her deadpan, "How come our friendship doesn't inspire you to write poems?" I was joking. She rolled her eyes at me.

So I was surprised when one January morning, the morning of my birthday, she presented me with a poem. My friend is a very good writer and she wrote this poem for me so I'd like to take this opportunity to re-publish it. Since it's for me, I assume that she is sharing with yours truly some of the intellectual property rights that are, after all, rightfully hers for authoring the piece. So I hope she won't mind if I take the liberty of re-posting it here and then asking for her express consent ex post facto. (Sige na, Lala, please????Hehehe.)

so here's the poem:


Why the heck are we friends?


your doggone stubbornness

your charming persistence

your passive rebellion

your disarming intellect

your singsong singsong voice

are not why you are my friend.



your delicate fragile arms

surprisingly steel grip

around me

are why.



your predictable phone calls

late into the night

are why.



under the bruises and resistance

the extended blunt silences

is the grateful amazement

that i am your friend

because and only because

you let me.



Thank you for the poem. :)

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