Among Friends

For a contest

Among Friends

The New Year started in the carriage house
Swinging on an old patio swing that I swung on last July.
I made my resolution while staggering into the barn
And somehow I made it up the stairs, back into the crowd.

Kids were blowing coke on the plastic folding table
And as a good friend of mine blew a line
I saw her transform into a stranger as she looked up
And offered me a free turn that I turned down.

I finished the beer that had been resting in my coat pocket
And sought refuge from these suddenly unfamiliar faces.
When I crawled into the smoky, crowded and familiar tent,
Alex offered me his lap and I accepted it quickly.

I thought to myself about the offer I turned down
And regretted my decision but there was something
About her face that told me just to stay away
And I remembered my resolution, promising myself

That this time next year,
I will be among friends.