Welcoming Home a Friend

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Five years gone
my friend has been
in a place far away.
Oft times he visits me
in dreams, though even
then I know it not possible,
and am confused by his presence.
But soon he will
return, and I rejoice
and feel worry at the same time.
For five years I have grown
and lived, and for five years
he has stagnated,
locked behind walls,
others stagnating with him.
I wonder, when I do see him again,
will he know me,
and will I know him?
And will I want to?

[everyadventure]

One could sense the apprehension in this.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Thanks, everyadventure.

No other comments/critiques?

[hillwalker]

One assumes the narrator is awaiting the release of a friend from prison - and it's interesting that he assumes he himself has changed while the 'friend' has stagnated.

Perhaps the more interesting poem might be about the actual meeting itself - who has really changed, and in what way?

H

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

That may make a more interesting poem, Hill, but it'll have to wait about a year until he finally does get out. :nod: Thanks for your thoughts!

[Delta40]

I liked how the 'he' in the poem was so abstract and yet your worry was overt. 'He' could have been the inner you in this poem. Well executed.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Thanks, Delta. :)

[Bar22do]

You leave us in suspense with this one... another year to go! that's a lot of time. N can't really know the friend stagnated, some people in such a case grow, learn, change... the thing is we can't know in which direction, so N may, as N fears, just meet quite another person indeed... an interesting read, thank you.

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Thanks, Bar.

[ucello]

The question remains unanswered. And as hillwalker says, perhaps your next could tell of what happened later.