LJ Idol 10 - Week 2 That One Friend

[eeyore_grrl]

If you like this and would like to vote for me! (Or read more things people wrote for the topic.) http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/956559.html

          	that one friend




politics have always been a great divide
pitting brother against brother
mother against child
but this year feels so much bigger


i fear that i have become that one friend 
	the one that won’t shut up 
	the one that she feels is overreacting
					overreaching 
						
	and i fear that she is that one friend that is just
							    over


years of building friendship from chance
	random roommates in college
	introductions
built into cathedrals of laughter and tears on the shores of lake erie


and i don’t want that gone
	i miss the laughter that no one else understands
			the words that flow so quickly 
no one in their right mind can keep up
	i miss the understanding that only best friends have


3000 miles 
	but it may as well be light years 
	between us


and we grew with our husbands
	each of us changing slowly 
	each of us changing
			from the young kids that we once were


	leaving us           		distant


right now you are that one friend that i’ve cried about


right now we are that one friendship that i thought would last like diamonds


right now i fear so much
	
	i think that you have forgotten who i am
	and i don’t know you anymore

Comments

[tonithegreat.livejournal.com]

Aw, that sounds rough. I hope you can get back to a place of understanding.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Time will tell. I hope so, too.

[murielle.livejournal.com]

Your ability to express your life through poetry is magnificent. This is another shining example.

The "story", heartbreaking. The poem, wonderful.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. It's been a rough election season...

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

I can see why, after having been through so much together, that one political difference this year would make you feel as if you no longer know that friend at all. I think a lot of things came to the forefront this year that people had been quieter about, areas where they didn't see eye to eye and avoided it... and now it's out in the open.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

It's been growing. We've become city mouse and country mouse. Both legit life choices, but don't understand each other so much anymore.

[my-name-is-jenn.livejournal.com]

It's tough when politics pulls people apart. I'm finding that happening a lot more frequently these days.

I love how you wrote this, too. You've got a talent for poetry.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's my superpower, if I have one. :-)

[rayaso.livejournal.com]

Political differences are so strong right now. I can understand how it might test a friendship. Extremely well written poem!

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. And yeah, it's a rough year politically.

[dmousey.livejournal.com]

My heart feels for you. Hugs and peace~~~D

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[baxaphobia.livejournal.com]

This whole election has caused a lot of divided friendships. It's very sad.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Agreed. :-(

[marlawentmad.livejournal.com]

This year has been a rough one for all of us. This quote has helped a lot through all the turmoil, "Things are not getting worse, they are getting uncovered. We must hold each other tight and continue to pull back the veil," by Adrienne Maree Brown.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

YES! We can't go quietly into this.

[bewize.livejournal.com]

A sadly familiar moment.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

:-(

[uselesstinrelic.livejournal.com]

I think we can look down at the idea of becoming that one friend "who won't shut up". Awkward silences are hard, but they're bearable. We often value saving friendships and keeping the peace above all- and understandable to an extent, since relationships are some of our most important things. But some issues or situations shouldn't be quieted and some things shouldn't be let to linger for the sake of desperately trying to keep things copacetic. It's difficult when talking puts friends at odds, but silence is not universally good or superior. I know it's a natural extension of the way people respond to conflict to feel like you're "overreaching" or "overreacting". That's often the way you're treated. But it's easier for people to demonize someone who refuses to be quiet about something uncomfortable than to deal with what caused the problem in the first place.

I hope you find some kind of peace with your friend, whatever that ends up being, but please don't think of yourself as a bother in the process. There are very real things happening that it is natural to have strong feelings about.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

That's it. A lot this year shouldn't be quieted.

[sinnamongirl.livejournal.com]

I hope you can get back with that friend, to that special place - sometimes it can work out!

The very first part really resonated with me; I'm on the exact opposite side of politics from my mom, which is flabbergasting because she's the one that gave me my moral compass, and now she's supporting people who are the exact opposite of that moral compass. Like I'm flailing about it because she doesn't see it.... but it's my mom, so.... yeah. Politics and any relationship this year = tough stuff.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Time will tell.

Good luck with mom.

[m-malcontent.livejournal.com]

I love your format and I appreciate the sentiment.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. The format helps know how to read it.

[penpusher.livejournal.com]

We are living in interesting times, and I am always reminded of that ancient Chinese curse: "May you be born into interesting times."

But this also calls into question elements of friendship and if we can remain friends with people whose opinions are in opposition to our own? There is a vast (and timely) landscape to explore there!

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I don't want to live in "interesting" times.... This year was brutal on a large level... I can't totally fire the year because I had some great things happening in my personal life, but Ooof! Politics and deaths and mass shootings... OOOfffff.

[fannishliss.livejournal.com]

nicely done!!

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[devilz-workshop.livejournal.com]

There is a different charm in your recitals. The words just sound a whole lot different, than when I am reading them. Well done.

[eeyore-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm told that, after awhile, you start reading my poems in a voice similar to mine... :-) The line breaks tell a lot about how I speak them.