MY FRIEND
MY FRIEND, I STAND IN JUDGMENT NOW,
AND FEEL THAT YOU'RE TO BLAME SOMEHOW,
ON EARTH I WALKED WITH YOU DAY BY DAY,
AND NEVER DID YOU POINT THE WAY.
YOU KNEW THE LORD IN TRUTH AND GLORY,
BUT NEVER DID YOU TELL THE STORY,
MY KNOWLEDGE THEN WAS VERY DIM;
YOU COULD HAVE LED ME SAFE TO HIM.
THOUGH WE LIVED TOGETHER HERE ON EARTH,
YOU NEVER TOLD ME OF THE SECOND BIRTH;
AND NOW I STAND THIS DAY CONDEMNED,
BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO MENTION HIM.
YOU TAUGHT ME MANY THINGS, THAT'S TRUE
I CALLED YOU "FRIEND" AND TRUSTED YOU;
BUT NOW I'VE LEARNED, THAT IT'S TOO LATE
AND YOU COULD HAVE KEPT ME FROM THIS FATE.
WE WALKED BY DAY AND TALKED BY NIGHT
AND YET YOU SHOWED ME NOT THE LIGHT.
YOU LET ME LIVE AND LOVE AND DIE;
YOU KNEW I'D NEVER LIVE ON HIGH.
YES, I CALLED YOU "FRIEND" IN LIFE
AND TRUSTED YOU THROUGH FUN AND STRIFE;
AND YET, ON COMING TO THIS DREADFUL END
I CANNOT NOW, CALL YOU "MY FRIEND"
AUTHOR UNKNOWN
THE ANSWER
BECAUSE YOU ARE MY FRIEND HERE NOW
I CANNOT TAKE A SILENT VOW.
WE SHARE EACH DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
AND THINK AT NIGHT OF WHAT EACH SAID.
BUT NO WHERE HAVE WE SOLVED OUR PLIGHT
AND LOOK IN VAIN, NO ANSWER IN SIGHT.
FOR AS WE WALK, GOOD DEEDS TO DO
BUT SIN, WE WILL, BY DAYLIGHT THROUGH.
MY "FRIEND" ON EARTH, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE
BUT "FRIENDS" I WISH FOR ETERNITY.
BEFORE IT'S TO LATE WE MUST NOW FACE
HOW ALL OUR SINS WE CAN'T ERASE.
THE ONLY HOPE IS BY GOD'S GRACE
AND UNDESERVED MERCY IN THIS PLACE.
TO KNOW HIM, LOVE HIM, ACCEPTING CHRIST
FOR US, OUR SINS, HE PAID THE PRICE.
TO BELIEVE GOD'S SON HAS DIED FOR ME
AND NOW HAS RISEN FOR ALL TO SEE.
TO ASK FORGIVENESS FOR OUR SIN
THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO BE BORN AGAIN.
SO NOW MY "FRIEND", I'VE SHARED WHAT'S TRUE
AND HOPE THAT HE HAS INFLUENCED YOU.
FOR NOW WE BOTH HAVE SEALED OUR FATE
AND SINCE WE'VE REALIZED, NOT TOO LATE,
THAT NOW THIS DAY WE'RE NOT CONDEMNED
WE ARE AND WILL BE, ALWAYS "FRIENDS"
WARREN C. HARDY JR
