Friends

Right now, I can’t see a world without friends,

But this was not taught from my birth;

Life centered on me when I was quite young,

Others nurtured my sense of self-worth.

As a child, my wants ere fulfilled at my will,

I received what I wanted most times,

I was raised with great love and strong support,

Denying my wants was a crime.

But then I entered the world beyond,

Going to school and meeting my peers;

Suddenly, life was not centered on me,

My actions no longer earned cheers.

I found it quite hard to fit in my class,

They didn’t like all that I’d say?

I took a book someone else had,

But he said, “Hey you, go away!”

Why hadn’t he given me the book that he had?

I was shocked and soon started to cry,

Everyone stared as my sobs grew quite loud,

The teacher then pulled me aside,

“I know you are sad from what Ben said to you,

But how did you make him so mad;

Did you ask him nicely if he was done reading

Before you grabbed the book he had? “

“At home I can read any book that I want.

I don’t have to ask since they’re all mine;

I thought it would be the same way at school,

No one shares,” I said with a whine.

She told me to go and discuss it with Ben,

Which scared me since he’d been so mean;

But Ben said we could read it together,

It felt great to be part of a team.

Each day I went to school was brand new,

Learning the ways to make friends,

Practicing reading, writing, and math,

And playing with my new friend Ben.

Being a friend is worth all of the work,

Having someone I can trust,

To handle days when things get tough,

Having a pal is a must.

Through the years, my friendships have grown,

I’ve changed at a fairly fast rate;

Being self centered hurt me at the start,

Now, helping my classmates feel great!

To be a good friend and love others,

I must first learn to love myself;

Only then can I be my best,

In a life with emotional wealth!