# I need a short poem or line about friendship **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151 "2011-04-12T22:09:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/1 "2011-04-12T22:09:39Z")
I’m writing a wedding card and I want to open with some kind of poem or moving line about friendship. I got the idea from Kramer on Seinfeld when he used a line from a poem by Yeats for Elaine’s birthday card. I was thinking of using that line, but just in case there are other ones, I’d like to see more options. ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/2 "2011-04-13T01:15:48Z")
I love the Garth Brooks song [“A Friend To Me.”](http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/brooks-garth/a-friend-to-me-5026.html) It may or may not be appropriate… I’ve not seen much _Seinfeld_, so I’m not sure exactly what you’re going for here. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/3 "2011-04-13T01:39:38Z")
There’s that yearbook classic “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver, the other gold” or Kipling’s “Thousandth Man” [Cute Guy Quotes](http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/The_Thousandth_.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/4 "2011-04-13T04:16:09Z")
“Friends are the universe’s apology for relatives” ---
**Author:** ![Anticounterrevolutionary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Anticounterrevolutionary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anticounterrevolutionary)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/5 "2011-04-13T06:22:14Z")
I second Kipling’s “The Thousandth Man”. That’s what immediately came to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/6 "2011-04-13T06:31:34Z")
Friends, their arms around my shoulders, and across my back they’re spread, dragging me down to their level, The reason I’ll never get ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/7 "2011-04-13T06:35:27Z")
“Constant use will not wear ragged the fabric of friendship.” Dorothy Parker "Some people go to priests; others to poetry; I to my friends. " Virginia Woolf "There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. " anonymous "A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. " anonymous “The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.” William Blake ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/8 "2011-04-13T08:42:31Z")
“Do you know the only boat that can never, ever sink? A friend-ship!” Sandy, Ross’ and Rachel’s babysitter ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/9 "2011-04-13T09:12:35Z")
“Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.” ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/10 "2011-04-13T16:23:38Z")
How about “It’s You I Like,” by Mr. Rogers? I used it as a reading in my wedding, and it went over really well. [http://pbskids.org/rogers/songLyricsItsYouILike.html](http://pbskids.org/rogers/songLyricsItsYouILike.html) It’s you I like, It’s not the things you wear, It’s not the way you do your hair– But it’s you I like. The way you are right now, The way down deep inside you– Not the things that hide you, Not your toys– They’re just beside you. But it’s you I like– Every part of you, Your skin, your eyes, your feelings Whether old or new. I hope that you’ll remember Even when you’re feeling blue That it’s you I like, It’s you yourself, It’s you, it’s you I like. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/11 "2011-04-13T21:10:01Z")
Thanks, these are gold! Keep 'em coming! The wedding’s in about 2 weeks, I should really start the card soon. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/12 "2011-04-13T21:22:32Z")
“A friend will come to the police station at 4 AM to bail you out of jail. A _true_ friend is in the cell with you.” ---
**Author:** ![wonder\_lust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@wonder\_lust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonder_lust)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/13 "2011-04-13T21:24:36Z")
“Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead Just walk beside me and be my friend.” ~ Albert Carnus “Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.” ~ Mark Twain ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/14 "2011-04-14T09:15:33Z")
“Let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.” — Khalil Gibran (The Prophet). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/15 "2011-04-14T12:10:09Z")
[One-stop shopping for quotes.](http://quotegarden.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/16 "2011-04-15T16:00:49Z")
With rue my heart is laden For golden friends I had For many a rose-lip’d maiden And many a light-foot lad. By brooks too broad for leaping The light-foot boys are lain The rose-lip’d girls are sleeping In fields where roses fade. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/17 "2011-04-15T18:02:28Z")
To see her is a picture To hear her is a tune To know her an intemperance as innocent as June To know her not, affliction To have here as a friend a warmth as if the sun, were shining in your hand. Dickinson ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-short-poem-or-line-about-friendship/578151/18 "2011-04-15T18:32:49Z")
Thank you for being a friend. Travel down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant. And if you thew a party And invited everyone you knew You would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say “thank you for infringing a copyright.”