WE THREE FRIENDS

Prone, heels touching bums, knees akimbo
Pant, pant, pant
In that cataclysmic moment
We catch each others eyes
Not sure who giggles first
But like a pair of naughty schoolgirls we can’t stop
To the left comes snorting
We draw the attention of the midwife
Can you get thrown out of an ante-natal class?
Three expectant women

Friendship was born of that absurd moment
Sharing grumbles of piles, varicose veins
Heartburn
Hysterical laughter at the contortions to make love
The waiting
Three uncomfortable friends

Joy as your delightful son is born
Astonishment and delight as your girl and boy twins
Arrive
Jealousy as I still wait
Then my beautiful daughter arrives at last
Three Mothers

We meet in each others houses
To stop us going mad
Discuss books, films and life
Ignoring for a few hours
The continuous demands, baby-sick
fatigue
Three tired friends

We supported each other through
Teething, weaning, potty training
Husbands
Took long walks in the countryside
Three Coping Mothers

Schooldays, freedom, a few precious
Hours, didn’t last long
Me first
Then You
And then
Three pregnant friends
Again

Birthday parties, picnics, measles, mumps
The worries the woes
Broken washing machines
Loan of a twin tub
Shame it killed the budgie!
We shared them all
Three Capable women

The golden years, still young and fit
Far more time
For our shared passion the opera
Parties, flirting, dancing our private
Jokes, hobbies
Three self-indulgent friends

Our lives scattered us to different places
We missed each other
Always Christmas cards but
Struggling to meet
As problems came with children, parents
Husbands
Three sometimes lonely friends

Children flown the nest
One husband gone, One husband dead
One husband left
Some grannies and grandads gone
Grandchildren arrive
You both come to visit and we remember
Giggling again as the years drop away
The wine flows
Three reminiscing friends

The first bombshell
You tell us you have cancer
You are amazing, positive
You travel, you paint
You survive
Three optimistic friends

You both come to visit
One to say goodbye
Two trying to be brave
We share laughter, tears
And memories with
A glass or two of wine
Three sorrowing friends

The call came too soon
The news bravely told
By your firstborn son
Dignified and strong
A tribute to his mother
Two grieving friends

Time goes on
Two Christmas cards instead of three
A few lines to catch up
On family news
Then
You write to me casually mentioning
The chemo
Your in hospital
Two scared women

Don’t want to face it
Still haven’t written back
Still trying to find the words
Think I’ll ring instead
What to say, I’ll take your lead
You’re my friend I must
Be as brave as you
Two hopeful friends

Your darling youngest
Sweetest Boy concerned for me
As he tells me your gone
Can’t deal with it yet
It’s in a room in my head
One friend left