Twenty Years

The ringing of the phone, early in the morning.
I glance at the blinking screen-I make a grab for it.
A chirpy, familiar voice on the other end-
Suddenly realizes I am not.
"I woke you-let me call you back later," she says.
"No-don't hang up!!" I exclaim, quickly reassuring her.
There is no one I would rather have waking me up,
So early in the a.m.

We chat, we giggle, we share stories, we philosophize,
From and about our respective lives.
We reminisce about school days, childhood, old times.
On the other end of that long distance line,
Is a person most dear to me.
Someone I have not seen in over five years.
Yet, the time and distance have little meaning for us.
The bond remains, as does the love.

Twenty years of friendship, twenty-four of shared history.
Nothing can alter or lessen that.
We started out bitter school yard rivals.
One thought the other a brainiac,
The other thought the first a wildcat.
Yet that old adage of opposites attracting-well, it happened.
Lives lived in close cohesion became those in different cities,
Different countries, now different continents.

A long conversation later, I lay back on the pillows,
Snuggle into my warm blanket.
Enjoy the feeling of those words.
Realize that nothing quite compares to it,
To having a friend of, and for, twenty years.
Not just a friend-the friend!

I have many other dear friends.
Spanning early childhood, teen years, college life.
But not another who can match the ties she and I share.
So here's to you, my dearest and oldest friend,
The sister I never had.
The one who remains in my heart,
Despite the thousands of miles that separate us.
And here's to the next twenty years...