No Fairweather Friends Allowed

John is a poet and short fiction writer who enjoys collaborating on stories with other writers, and partaking in challenges.

Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.

— Aristotle

Friendship ~ a Word Prompt by Brenda Arledge

The subject "friendship" is a wonderful thing to write about so I thank our fellow writer and colleague, Brenda Arledge for her weekly prompt and the inspiration for this poem.

I am a bit late to the party this time but thankfully there was no time limit. So many wonderful poems have already been written in response to the "friendship" prompt and I was sure I couldn't add anything unique or special to the mix. I hoped my muse would be able to come up with a different slant or point of view but I think she failed me. After all, how many different slants can you put on friendship?

That said, I eventually sat down and wrote a poem, and so here I present ~ "No Fairweather-friends Allowed!"

No Fair-weather Friends Allowed!

A friend is your pal, amigo, or buddy,

Your comrade, your mate, or your homie.

A true friend supports and always has your back.

Their friendship isn’t fake, false or phony.

A real friend accepts you the way that you are

They’ll reach out to you from near or far,

Just to keep in touch and make sure you are well.

A friend doesn’t judge, to them you’re a star.

A friend will be honest and give you advice,

They want you to have a happy life.

They will not just tell you what you want to hear,

For in the long term that will cause you strife.

A friend has high standards that they’ll hold you to,

And they’ll be a role model for you.

They won’t judge your failures, just say, “Try again.”

And your successes they will cheer-lead too.

Fair-weather friends leave when the going gets tough,

Their compassion is not off-the-cuff.

They are only around for what they can get.

But true friends say, “I just can’t help enough.”

They’ll support you in grief, hold you when you cry,

Wet their shoulders with tears from your eyes.

They’ll be at your bedside to say their goodbyes

On the heart-breaking last day when you die.

.

Friendship is not only invaluable, but also beautiful. Being a good friend and being a good man is the same thing.

— Aristotle

© 2021 John Hansen

Comments

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 19, 2021:

Hi, good to see you back Rinita. most of us have experienced fair-weather friends, unfortunately, Thank you for reading and commenting.

Rinita Sen on April 19, 2021:

What a wonderful topic to write about! And you did it so well. Simple yet powerful, especially the last couple of lines. Yup, I had my share of fair-weather friends, too. Thankfully life itself finds a way to weed them out.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 16, 2021:

Hello Ann, I am glad you feel this poem conveyed the various angles of friendship. Thank you for reading.

Ann Carr from SW England on April 16, 2021:

Great poem on friendship, John! You've picked out lots of the angles of friendship. It's a complex subject, yet so simple at its base. I always enjoy your poetry and this is a great response to Brenda's prompt.

Ann

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 16, 2021:

Hello Urwa. Thank you for your kind comment. I agree, true friends are a blessing.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 16, 2021:

Yes, Kalpana, we do well if we have one friend who will be there, good and bad, throughout our lives. Thank you for reading.

Iqra from East County on April 16, 2021:

This poem is very fantastic and all lines are true. John, I am very happy to read this poem. A true friend is a blessing of God.

Kalpana Iyer from India on April 16, 2021:

A friend who stays with you through thick and thin is very hard to come by nowadays. But blessed are those who have experienced this kind of friendship.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hello Nithya. I am happy to hear that you have great friend who always stick by you. Those who run when things get tough we are better off without.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Thank you MsDora, my life is better because of friends also, including those from HubPages.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Shauna, I don’t know why you aren’t getting email notifications of my articles, but glad you found this one anyway.

I am happy you think I did something unique with the the “true friends” vs “fair-weather friends” angle, and that the words painted a picture. Cheers my friend.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Devika, I am so glad you found that one true friend since you moved to Croatia, and they have stuck by you for the past 18 years. Treasure it.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Lucky you, Mary, having so many great friends. Each one adds to your life.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Thank you for reading this poem, Vidya. Yes, not all of is are lucky enough to have friends who will stick with you all the way through good times and bad. It’s something we must be grateful for. Blessings.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hi Brenda, I appreciate your encouragement, and though it took awhile to take effect, thanks for the inspiration to write this. I knew it would happen eventually as “friendship” is a wonderful subject.

Glad to hear I am not the only one who is a little late. I am looking forward to reading your own poem. Have a great day/night.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Linda, thank you so much for your kind comment and for sharing about your former co-worker and friend. I am sure you will have a wonderful lunch together.

It is certainly friends like that who we cherish.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hi Pamela. I struggled with a new idea for this poem but once I started writing it seemed to flow quite easily. Thanks for always reading my work.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Good to see you Marlene. When writing a poem about friends “heart-warming” was the exact emotion I was trying to tap into, so thank you.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hi Fran, thank you for your kind words. I truly appreciate them.

Nithya Venkat from Dubai on April 15, 2021:

A beautiful poem John. I have great friends who are always there for me and I have come across fairweather friends who just disappear when we need them the most.

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on April 15, 2021:

A beautiful tribute to friends and friendship. My life is so much better because of them. Well done!

Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on April 15, 2021:

John, I'm glad I saw this in my feed, because I didn't get an email notification.

I love what you've done with Brenda's prompt word. You illustrated both sides of the coin, which is something no one else has done yet.

Sadly, I think we experience fair-weathered friends more often in our lifetime than we do true friends. It's the true blues that we need to cherish and reciprocate.

A line in your poem that really struck me is: "They’ll support you in grief, hold you when you cry,

Wet their shoulders with tears from your eyes." If that's not painting a picture with words, I don't know what is!

Great job, John!

Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on April 15, 2021:

Friends who stay by you through all times are the best one could ever have. I have a friend 18 years since living in Croatia and she has been there for me whenever I needed her and just there to talk to and that is what I call a true friendship. A nice approach to this poem.

Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on April 15, 2021:

I am lucky to have had so many friends. Each one of them add something special to my life and I appreciate this. Some came earlier, others later but all are now parts of me.

VIDYA D SAGAR on April 15, 2021:

Beautiful poetry John. Unique idea of comparison between fair weather and true friends. It's very difficult to find true friends who stay with you till the end. Only few lucky ones get such good friends I guess. You have brought out the emotions very nicely in the poem.Thanks for sharing, have a good day.

BRENDA ARLEDGE from Washington Court House on April 15, 2021:

John,

As they say, "It's better late than never"

I'm so glad you made it!

Mine is behind schedule also. I'm hoping to finish it today

Don't ever believe your words can't add anything unique or different.

Each of us has a different voice. A unique style all of our own.

Your poem describes the actions of true friendship.

Your words show us a true friend has your back & doesn't judge.

He accepts you just as you are.

He won't sugarcoat anything by just saying what you want to hear.

He has moral standards & sticks around to help when the going gets tough while fair weather friends leave at the drop of a hat.

A true friend is there up until that last moment in time.

I love the way your words paint the picture of true friendship vs fair weather friends.

One definitely knows the difference.

I will post a link in the article.

Linda Lum from Washington State, USA on April 15, 2021:

John, today I am having lunch with a former coworker--we've been friends for 50 years!

Because of COVID, we've not been together for a year, but I know when we finally see each other that year of distance will instantly fade. We'll pick up right where we left off.

We've seen each other through the highlights of life and the deepest, darkest periods. A true friend is a priceless treasure. Thank you for your beautiful poem. You might have been late to the challenge, but yours is priceless and worth waiting for.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on April 15, 2021:

This is a very clever response to Brenda's prompt, John. True friends versus fair-weather friends are a very good comparison. I enjoyed reading your poem, as always.

Marlene Bertrand from USA on April 15, 2021:

Your poem is very heart-warming. You captured the essence of friendship quite well.

fran rooks from Toledo, Ohio on April 15, 2021:

Jodah, absolutely warns my heart! This was beautifully written. I admire all your poems. Thank you for your contribution.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hello Peg, yes, we need to treasure those few true friends that stay by our side no matter what. I hope you are blessed with them as well.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 15, 2021:

True friends are worth their weight in gold, as the saying goes. Fairweather friends show their true feelings if and when things get tough. As others have written, it is best to let them disappear from your life. Your poem is an excellent response to Brenda's prompt. Enjoy your day, and may you be blessed with good friends.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Thank you, Bill. True friends are a rare commodity of great value.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Thank you Chitrangada. Yes, that is the test of true friendship if it just gets stronger during adversity.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Thank you for bringing the wine, bro. It is what friends do, right? Glad you enjoyed the poem. Peace.

manatita44 from london on April 15, 2021:

Late to the party but brought good wine. Ha-ha. Lovely piece on friendship. More kudos to you and Brenda, Bro. Peace.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on April 15, 2021:

That pretty much sums up true friendship perfectly, my friend. Well done! Find one of those "true" friends and one is a rich person indeed.

Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on April 15, 2021:

Beautiful response to the the word prompt, friendship!

I liked your poem, and completely agree with what you have conveyed through your well composed poem!

True friendship is difficult to find! The real test is during the adverse times!

Thank you for sharing another wonderful poem!

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hello Farah. Often the friends we first thought were true turn out to be fair-weather. It takes the tough times to be able to know for sure. Thank you for reading.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

I am glad you liked those lines, EK. I appreciate your kind words. Take care.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Good to see you Lorna. Yes, I agree totally with what you say. Thanks for reading. We need true friends.

Farah N Huq from Dhaka, Bangladesh on April 15, 2021:

Yet another wonderful poem, John! Each line is true. Yes, you eventually do get to know who your fair-weather friends are and it is pointless to cry for them when they leave. Loved it once again!

EK Jadoon from Abbottabad Pakistan on April 15, 2021:

"A real friend accepts you the way that you are." What a beautiful line, jodah. Friendship is not just a word; it is something that comes from your spirit. Thanks for sharing this masterpiece.

Lorna Lamon on April 15, 2021:

A wonderful response to the prompt John and so true. You certainly know who your true friends are when the going gets tough. Friendship is so important for all the reasons you have given, and should never be taken for granted.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

No one needs fair-weather friends, Flourish. Thank you for speaking from experience. I have known a few myself and they are no longer in my life.

FlourishAnyway from USA on April 15, 2021:

Fair weathered friends aren't friends at all. I've had those and discovered who they were when I got diagnosed with MS. It's funny what a major health crisis or other major life situation can do to your friendship. It shows you who is a friend and who is just there for other reasons. You should respond accordingly.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Hello Misbah, I appreciate your kind comment. I am happy you enjoyed this poem. Thank you, My Friend.

John Hansen (author) from Gondwana Land on April 15, 2021:

Thank you for reading this poem, Ravi. I agree with your words that echo my own thoughts on the value of a true friend.

Misbah Sheikh from The World of Rebels. on April 15, 2021:

What a wonderful response to Brenda's Prompt challenge. Beautifully expressed, I loved each and every line. Thanks for sharing this beautiful Poem.

Blessings Amigo

Ravi Rajan from Mumbai on April 15, 2021:

Thanks John for your brilliant poem. As you have rightly said fair weather friends are of no value. A friend's value comes at times of distress when he/she can stand by you like a rock and guide you. A true friend need to show you the mirror and guide you towards the right path. Thanks for sharing.