Childhood Friend

_{It would have been okay to say, “No,”
(I know)
But the thought of being alone
Was startling.
Honestly,
Though I am guilty of hypocrisy,
I was glad of her presence,
Warming my heart
In ways I cannot understand,
Thus unknown to man.
We traveled back in time,
Playing games of childhood
And releasing our worries through words.
I did not mind the tradition
Of separation-
Individual blankets, but sharing the bed.}