POEM: Five Short Poems with Similar Titles

(Plus Audio)

What do sausages have to do with this poem? Nothing - but it’s a great picture and I hope will encourage you to subscribe to my other Substack on Haiku poetry with photos. This one is in an upcoming post about Christmas Markets.

After I wrote the poem ‘I Had a Friend’ someone pointed out in the comments that Jung had said something very similar. I said “God damn it, I got here under my own steam only to find I could have learnt this years ago from Jung”. I read the following poem to a friend who pointed out a scene from Shakespeare’s 12th Night (I will copy that excerpt in at the end - the similarilites are amazing but I didn’t know!)

I was exploring uncatchy titles as an idea and this is what I came up with - hope you like it!

Five short poems with similar titles

1. Friend

I see that you wish me to maintain your life fantasy illusion

And I asked you to maintain mine, though it caused me great confusion

It took a long time for me to see that this was the case

In that time I felt affection to look upon your face

I see that we will play a splendid game of great pretend

I understand your kind deception, oh beloved friend

2. Enemy

I am grateful for you have shown me something new

I thank you with all my heart for the truth revealed by you

It took a long time for me to see that this was the case

In that time I felt disgust to look upon your face

It was not until I saw that the pain had set me free

That I could understand your worth, beloved enemy

3. Friend

When I see you now, yes I often do, I feel pleasantly detached

Our illusions must be shared or else we are quite mismatched

You kept me in one place and closed the way ahead

As I did to you and if we are true then it probably should be said

I apologise to you and know we should both to this attend

I understand our restrictions, oh beloved friend

4. Enemy

If we must speak now, yes I am able to, I feel curiously detached

For the pain you caused has given me an awakening newly hatched

You have shown me a wide open path, a new way to move ahead

A gift is what you’ve given me after everything has been said

You have made me release the fears and now I am carefree

I understand your purpose, beloved enemy

5. Friend and Enemy

My enemy has gifted me and my friend has held me back

My enemy caused me pain which showed me what I lack

My friend indulged my whims and wants and let me be a liar

The restraint I showed my enemy has elevated me higher

Now I am confused with these two words, I pray will you help me?

Who exactly is my friend and who is my enemy?

---

Act V. Scene I. Before Olivia's house.

…
Duke Orsino: 
Belong you to the Lady Olivia, friends?

Feste: 
Ay, sir; we are some of her trappings.

Duke Orsino:
I know thee well; how dost thou, my good fellow?

Feste:
Truly, sir, the better for my foes and the worse 

for my friends.

Duke Orsino:
Just the contrary; the better for thy friends.

Feste:
No, sir, the worse.

Duke Orsino:
How can that be?

Feste:
Marry, sir, they praise me and make an ass of me;

now my foes tell me plainly I am an ass: so that by

my foes, sir I profit in the knowledge of myself,

and by my friends, I am abused: so that,

conclusions to be as kisses, if your four negatives

make your two affirmatives why then, the worse for

my friends and the better for my foes.

Duke Orsino:
Why, this is excellent.

Feste:
By my troth, sir, no; though it please you to be

one of my friends.

Duke Orsino:
Thou shalt not be the worse for me: there's gold.

Feste:
But that it would be double-dealing, sir, I would

you could make it another.

Duke Orsino:
O, you give me ill counsel.

Feste:
Put your grace in your pocket, sir, for this once,

and let your flesh and blood obey it.

Duke Orsino:
Well, I will be so much a sinner, to be a

double-dealer: there's another.

---

Thanks so much for reading, listening and for the wonderful support I get in the comments I am very grateful for it. If you have spare pennies you can support my coffee addiction on Buy me a Coffee (here), thank you if you do.

Ever onwards with courage we go x

and finally, another nice picture to finish