To My Friends

Bursting forth with soliloquies
Seems to be my Hamlet-esque style.
To try to connect:
The poet’s thorn in his flesh.

To comment, to instigate,
To rouse the troops,
To seek to inspire, to grieve,
To challenge, and, yes, to complain.

These things I am good at.
Always have been.
I’m a dreamer.
For some reason,

This is how God has blessed me.
Sometimes it seems like a curse.
(And not just for me, as many
Of my family and friends can attest!)

I like what I write.
I like my thoughts, my feelings,
My ideas, my dreams.
I hope that, at least once,

I can say something
That makes someone feel
A little better,
A little less alone,

And a little more
Like they matter,
That what they think,
And what they feel,

Are important.
Yes, I am speaking to you,
And you, and you…
Let’s be friends, okay?