Chancing Upon A Friend

A lot of water had flown under the bridge,

When I chanced upon a friend on the ridge,

We shook hands warmly, awkwardly,

Tough years ago we would have met differently.

How-are-you and nice-to-meet-you were said,

Wish-I-hadn’t-seen-him went through my head.

We were friends once, thickest of the thick,

No coax could separate us nor any trick.

Tales of camaraderie were famous in campus,

Our friendship was simply matchless.

We kept in touch through success and rejection,

Till life demanded our complete attention.

I grasped through the years a fact,

That he has seen my worst extract,

There were things I wished to bury and burn,

His knowing them was a matter of concern.

Lest skeletons of my cupboard tumble and fall,

I made haste for a quick withdrawal.

Strange feeling it is to meet friends of old,

Nostalgia, euphoria, anguish all at once.