the most that i had ever cried
was not when a loved one died,
nor with the loss of cherished pet,
nor with some profound regret,
nor when i gave my marriage vows
nor with friend's loss I espoused
nor when i found that i was broke,
nor when plans went up in smoke,
nor all the inevitable harms,
but holding my newborn in my arms
but holding my newborn in my arms

Tom and Jerry, Laurel and Hardy,
Batman and Robin, Fred and Barney,
Frodo and Sam, Bert and Ernie too,
Tom Sawyer and Huck, adventures anew.

Lone Ranger and Tonto, Snowy and Tintin,
Chip and Dale, Snoopy and Woodstock grin,
Archie and Jughead, Holmes and Watson wise,
Lucy and Ethel, their antics arise.

Larry, Curly, and Moe, a comical trio,
Mutt and Jeff, Luke and Han Solo,
Lois and Clark, a super pair indeed,
These bonds of friendship, on screen we read.

But as the credits roll and the pages close,
A question lingers, as doubt grows:
Are these friendships, so perfect and true,
Reflections of bonds between me and you?

Real friendships are messy, they ebb and flow,
Not always in sync, not always aglow.
Yet in their imperfection, we find
A beauty that's real, one of a kind.

So cherish your friends, both near and far,
For in life's story, that's who you are.
Fiction may inspire, but reality's test
Proves true friendship is earth's real quest.

what gives your life real meaning?
at the top, i bet it is friends.
what else could give life such gleanings?
neither health nor fancy playpens?
but, while husbands name their wives
as their "bestie", why do wives name
other women as friends?

i cannot remember the first time
i found myself in a line.
perhaps it was queuing up for lunch
and had to stare at someone's haunch

of course, i waited for concerts great,
though, i quickly learned of that mistake.
but the lines are long at the DMV,
the apple store and the grocery.

however, i find the greatest crime
when waiting patiently in line,
and this cannot be overwrought,
is honking in the church parking lot

What love you about summer camp?
I can bet it was not canned food,
Nor being the archery champ,
Nor the crafts, which were often glued.

Though pancakes always made you smile
And swimming would have many laughs,
It wasn't like home, by a mile,
Nor were there always happy staff.

Perhaps you enjoyed riding horse;
There were climbing ropes and hiking.
You made at least one friend, of course,
But the fish were never biting.

So, what about camp did you love?
Certainly, it didn't feel like home!
But it was indicative of
That, at least, you were on your own!

it isn't quite the secret
to feeding many folk -
we're not talking peanuts
and it isn't quite the joke,
'cause some'll say they're fasting,
others will often share,
so there is no typecasting
when pantry may be bare;
secret to feeding many,
i'm ashamed to say,
on very little penny,
is to cook in the worst way

individualists, freaks,
eccentric, ******, oddball,
offbeat, loser, not in clique,
we must be outsiders all