They had been friends
since what seemed like
the very dawn of time -
racing bikes over
homemade jumps;
building Tonka dynasties
in the sandbox.

There were days of
camouflage face paint
and combat in the woods,
wars against foes that
no one but they could see.

Tree forts and camping trips
in the back yard;
football games in the snow;
fishing with sticks
in the creek bottoms

These are the days
they shared
that neither time
nor distance
can fade.