Poet's Perch : Loyalty by Berton Braley

Loyalty

He may be six kinds of a liar,

He may be ten kinds of a fool,

He may be a wicked highflyer

Beyond any reason or rule;

There may be a shadow above him

Of ruin and woes to impend,

And I may not respect, but I love him,

Because - well, because he's my friend.

I know he has faults by the billion,

But his faults are a portion of him;

I know that his record's vermilion,

And he's far from the sweet Seraphim;

But he's always been square with yours truly,

Ready to give or to lend,

And if he is wild and unruly,

I like him - because he's my friend.

I criticize him but I do it

In just a frank, comradely key,

And back-biting gossips will rue it

If ever they knock him to me!

I never make diagrams of him,

No maps of his soul have I penned;

I don't analyze - I just love him,

Because - well, because he's my friend.

Berton Braley