AROUND THE CORNER

Monday, October 19, 2009

Around the corner, I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end;
Yet days go by, and weeks rush on,
And before I know it a year is gone,
And I never see my old friend's face,
for life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well
As in the days when I rang his bell
And he rang mine. We were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men:
Tired with playing a foolish game,
Tired with trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow," I say, "I will call on Jim,
Just to show that I'm thinking of him."
But tomorrow comes--and tomorrow goes,
And the distance between us grows and grows
Around the corner!--yet miles away...
"Here's a telegram, sir..."
"Jim died today."
And that's what we get, and deserve in the end:
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
Charles Hanson Towne

6 comments:

SmilingSally said...

Sad that life becomes so busy that friends come and go. I'm guilty of neglect too.

bp said...

There is much truth in this poem. I've found that when I look back I'm so glad I did make that phone call or go by for a visit so now I don't have regrets.

Have a blessed week!

Karen said...

Clif, Thank you. I enjoyed reading the last few posts. Always a blessing! Have a great week.

Mary said...

This is a painful reality...I am guilty of doing just that. Some years ago, I was working many hours a day, but a friend called one day to tell me she had cancer. I talked with her for a long time, and visited her about a week later, but I never called back to see how she was doing. Then one day, almost a year later, her daughter called to tell me that she had died. During that year, I thought many, many, many times that I should call or visit, but it would have to wait for another, less busy day. HA! There is no such thing. When those promptings come now, I listen and follow through...and pray that I never allow that to happen again.

God bless,
Mary

Mevely317 said...

After reading this post last night, I promised myself a 24-hr. "cooling off" period ... lest I go blubbering prematurely. (Can you say, Powerful?)
All the same, re-reading it tonight, I'm immediately misty-eyed.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful, cautionary piece!

All the best!
Myra

Ms.Daisy said...

Clif,
I absolutely loved this poem...short and to the point! Is there anything so sad as a thought not pursued and time slipping away forever?


~Jean