I CALL YOU FRIEND

Stung by folks with hidden plots
Wary I am to label one a friend
Like sea cucumbers, they spill their guts
And secrets become the trend
They lie in wait, and wish you’d rot
But grovel back to make amend

Trust earned you this great spot
Friend, is who I call  you, my boon companion!
Not as thick as thieves
But I wager, closer than kin
Proven you are no desperado
You see right through my bravado
And reach out to a place you've been.

I call you Friend, not a lackey
Blunt to call me out when out of line
And amicably  disagree on what is tacky
You don’t pull clout with feigned affection online

I call you Friend, not a crony
You form a shield against  life’s harassments
And get it when I need to go low key
To recoup from emotional fragments
What an honor to call you Friend
To have you on my side
My person, my blood.