If I didn’t try hard enough
to impress you
make you like me
act intelligent
present myself as kind
to encourage you to be my friend.

Perhaps it was because that doesn’t work.

If you didn’t try hard enough
to be impressed,
to like me
to think I was intelligent
to think I was kind
and you wanted to be my friend.

Perhaps you didn’t try hard enough.

This is the human situation.
Everyone trying to be their best selves
and failing to see that
we are all imperfect
trying to be otherwise.

You should see me late at night
when I have no makeup on
and am crying over something or other.
Feeling abandoned by the universe
and sure that I must do something
to fix innumerable broken things and people.

I should see you some lonely afternoon
when you are wearing your oldest shirt
feeling you have ten pounds to lose
feeling you have things to prove
and no one is believing you
when you say you love them.

That might make for a real friendship.

Vicki Woodyard