I'm leaving Nani's nest today;
I have to say 'Good-bye'
I'm homeward bound; I cannot stay
But I will never cry.

I'll only chuckle every time
I look back on these days,
For they have brought me so much joy
In very many ways.

The poets who might never know
Were there within my heart.
Already bound by seedlings sown
Of friendship from the start.

We're kind of like old Army buddies
With a common bond,
Old neighbor friends from childhood
Of whom we're very fond.

It's kind of like we're siblings
With bonds that never break,
Someone to share your laughter
Every victory or mistake.

It's as though we're of kindred heart;
We climbed a common tree.
We sat around a supper table;
We shared a family.

We snuggled into bed together,
Watched our favorite show.
In childhood days of wonderment,
Together we would grow.

And in among each poet's heart
There runs a common thread,
Woven through each verse we wrote
And every verse we read.

It's a common sensitivity,
A soft observant eye,
That sees aesthetic renderings
In sea and earth and sky.

It's a common sense of feelings,
The emotions of the past,
That form a living shadow
As our silhouette is cast.

It's a common trust that we impart
On page of pastel blue,
That wraps each poem in golden bows
And offers them to you.

And so one day, in Nani's nest
I met you in the flesh,
Already spun silver threads
That wove a common mesh.

Each kiss is for each poem you wrote,
Each hug for love implied,
Each act of friendship from the heart
For every time I cried.

We shared a lot of laughter
In an old New England town,
This gathering of army pals
Will never let you down.

The time has come for me to go;
I leave with all of you,
A corner of this tender heart
To help to see you through.

And I have taken part of yours.
It's harbored in my chest.
So you'll be with me my dear friends,
In every dream or quest.

I'll see you later in your verse,
I'll recognize it's you;
For I have come to know your heart
On screen of friendship blue.

~*~

Thank you, Nancy - For opening your lovely home to us
Thank you, Sharon - For all your preparation in making our stay so pleasant.
Thank you, Ron - For your loving pages of blue.