Consider this portrait of a friend:
When things don't come out right, she comes
right in. When none of your dreams come true,
she remains true. She never looks for your money except
when you've lost it. She never gets in your way except to
clear it for you. Nothing is more important to her than
making you important. She's in your corner when you are
cornered.She turns up when you get turned down.
All she wants in return for her helping hand is your hug.
She never insists on seeing you except when no one
else wants to. The only way she sponges off you is
to absorb some of your troubles. When you're
taking bows, she bows out. You can do anything
you want with her friendship except buy it
or sell it. She makes you realize that having a
real friend is like having an extra life. All she
asks of your friendship is the privilege of deserving it.

This poem was adapted from James Pleitz
From the book We Need Each Other, by Guy Greenfield