STRONG SUITS

STRONG SUITS

In the ways we mirror more than diverge,

We carry the same scars, etched deep and true—

Not some invalidating picnic, no light affair,

But badges of battles fought in shadowed rooms,

Where pain whispers secrets only the wounded know.  It might seem cheesy, invoking Jung in verse,

That sage of shadows and collective dreams,

But here he stands, unbidden yet profound,

Weaving archetypes through our tangled souls.

For poetry bows to no rigid laws—

Its sole decree: to ignite the reader's heart,

To pulse with the raw ache of what I feel,

A bridge of empathy across the void.  Fascinating, isn't it, to a girl like me—

Curious eccentric, chasing patterns like stars,

In the vast cosmos of human behavior's dance.

I dissect the rhythms, the ebbs and flows,

The hidden currents that pull us under or lift us high,

Seeking the why in every fleeting glance,

The how in every unspoken sigh.  You may brush aside my compliments, if you must,

Discount them as echoes of my own desires,

But that dims not your flame one flickering bit—

You burn ablaze, a wildfire in the night,

More than mere projection, oh, you know it well.

You are your own best ally and fiercest foe,

A duality that twists like a thorned vine;

If it were a malady, I'd claim it too,

For we are kin in this internal war,

My friend—me and you, you and I.  Similar souls, more than opposites attract,

We run parallel like rivers carving stone,

With wide-open spaces stretching between,

Thousands of miles in landscapes vast and wild—

Deserts of doubt, forests of forgotten hopes,

Yet always converging in some hidden bend.  You inspire me in ways that awaken senses long asleep,

Where I observe, devour every detail laid bare—

The curve of your thoughts, the texture of your dreams,

Inside the fortress of your mind, outside in the world's harsh light,

In the totality that forms the essence of 'you.'

Friends arrive not easily, nor always with grace,

Maturity a rare bloom in this hurried soil,

But even so, amid the thorns and trials,

Nothing rivals the gold of time itself—

That fleeting river we dare not squander.  I stake my faith in consistency's steady hand,

Over the chaos of fleeting whims and winds;

Choosing my choices with deliberate care,

Layering moments like bricks in a wall.

I stumble on words—how to say it, when, why, or how—

Yet here I stand in awe, utterly transfixed,

By the light you cast, the shadows you tame.  I am invested in your visions, those bold horizons,

And dreams that shift like clouds at dawn's first blush;

Whatever form they take, I'll cheer their flight.

Time after time, I'll be there, a steadfast echo,

To remind you of who you are at your highest peak—

The summit self, unbowed and radiant.  I delve into your intellectual tempests,

Sarcasm's sharp edges, wit like lightning strikes,

Even in mysteries I grasp without full knowing why—

The pull of the unknown, the thrill of the chase.

Regardless of place—here, there, or the in-between voids—

I'll offer empirical trust, forged in tested fires,

Loyalty fierce as dragons guarding ancient hoards,

Breathing flames against the encroaching dark.  I cherish the pieces you share in the whirlwind,

The hustle and bustle of life's relentless pace—

That fast-paced dynamic where you thrive,

The professor etched into your very DNA,

Imparting wisdom like seeds in fertile ground.

Vicariously, through your triumphs, I smile wide,

As if your joys were woven into my own thread,

Your successes a blow my wandering spirit.  Someday, I hope, you'll embrace what I already see—

That you are a wellspring, a valuable resource of compassion,

Your heart brimming over with vulnerable sensitivity,

Raw and real, like rain on parched earth.

I see you—truly, in all your layered depths,

The fragility beneath the fortified walls.  In these turbulent days, I'll be your knight, of friendship, to guard it with care,

Armored in resolve, sword drawn against the storms,

Guarding the dynasty you're blueprinting now—

Foundations laid with vision, stone by stone,

A legacy rising from the blueprints of your will.  Many promises elude my grasp, fragile as mist,

But this I vow with confident, unyielding breath:

Come what may—tempests, trials, or tranquil dawns—

I will be the strong bones of your foundation,

A pillar unshakeable, rising from the earth.

Repeatedly, without fail, I'll be your safe harbor,

A gentle place to land when wings grow weary,

Where you can rest, recharge, and rise anew.

A friend in me, pardon the pun,

is a friend in you

(Jung would agree, I'm sure).