One Melancholy Moment

One Melancholy Moment

One melancholy moment
When I paused to reflect
I had offered social contact
Did I consider they'd reject?

With "Yes!" and smiles when parting
Surely au reviour?
But my offer long forgotten
Before they'd even reached their car

Said manufactured pop stars
"Friendship never ends"
To be well and truly let down flat
Requires enterprising good friends

"I'll ring first thing tomorrow"
"The cheque is in the post"
"I'll meet you at the station"
"Come for Sunday roast"

The 'phone sits gravely silent
Letter-box unused
All trains arriving empty
They 'phone - Sunday excused

Do I invite too intensely?
Does it cause them stress?
And so much easier than saying "No"
Is meaning "No" but saying "Yes"

Blood thicker than water?
I'm sorry, it depends
In the letting down department
Family mirror friends

A frontal lobe extraction
Means my expectations small
When once again excuses made
I wont mind at all

I'll be sitting on a local's barstool
With no introspection/hate
Lager enhanced conversation
"I'm alright, you alright mate?"

Letters go unanswered
'Phone calls unreturned
"That's when you'll known who your friends are"
A lesson hardly learned

Nuclear family bubble
Pop out when needs demand
Safe insular existence
Four anchors and becalmed

Is it only at the grave side
When you've rounded all the bends
You gaze back down, ascending
"Oh, they were all my friends"