Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.
And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.
And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
"Tomorrow" I say! "I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him",
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner, yet miles away,
"Here's a telegram sir," "Jim died today."
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
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Comments
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Just a thought....
From guest Misty (contact)
Hi, I know we get busy but I wanted to send this poem to you so that we all learn how to stop prostrastinating keeping in touch and picking up the phone to call when we think about each other. I love you. -
Favorite Poem
From guest John from Memphis, TN (contact)
I ran across this poem in 1957 while I was searching for something to read publically for a college public speaking course. The poem has stayed with me for over 50 years. It is still my favorite, and 'reflects what life has taught me during those 50+ years. I make sure I go to my school reunions and speak to old friends and acquaintences before time, distance and circumstance rob me of that chance. -
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Search ended
From guest Val Incoll (contact)
My Father could only ever remember the first 2 lines of this poem that he saw when he returned from the war. He quoted these lines his whole life and regretted he was unable to remember the entire verse. It meant so much to him, that on his 80th birthday, unable to find this poem anywhere, I started off with the first 2 lines and wrote the rest myself in honour of my Father. This is my poem, inspired by the first two lines of this wonderful verse that I have now located at last. Around the corner I have a friend, In a city that has no end, A friend whom I've shared both joy and sorrow, A friend whom I've promised I'll visit tomorrow, But tomorrow's demands bring no time for my friend, And I promise myself to make time next weekend, But the weekend goes by then the months and the years, And I think of my friend through eyes full of tears, My friend whose kind face and most gracious of ways, Who had often been my strength through many tough days, Was reaching out to me now and I felt the weight of my age, As I read his name out loud, from the Obituary Page, This kind, generous friend, who lived not far away, Who wanted nothing more than a small part of my day, But in this city, that has no end, There had not been time to waste on my friend, And now I contemplate with increasing sorrow, The hours that will remain empty with every tomorrow, As my thoughts evaluate what nothing else can transcend, The gift of time that you give a friend. Thank you to Charles Hanson Townes for inspiring this poem. I wrote this version not knowing the author nor the verse and am happy to have found it at last. Written with love. -
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this is the best poem ever and i can recite it from heart
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Around the corner
From guest Rosalina (contact)
This is the most inspiring poem I have ever read!It is now one of my all time favorites. When I first read it ,it sent a message to me saying if you have something to do then do it.I recently went to the poem store just to find it
I did,the name of the book was POEMS THAT TOUCH THE HEART, and it did touch my heart with a message!
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its just awesome
From guest janam420 (contact)
its just awesome.......i love it.....this is my best eva poem i eva read. -
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Around the Corner
From guest donquijote (contact)
Get on the phone and call your friend,tell him that you love him and tell him well,tell him that tomorrow it will be to late for your passing is written for a day today..leave him a embrace,an embrace of silent an embrace in pray a sincere embrace like in the all days..leave a note of thanks for the time you spend since there was a reason for being such a great friend, and that real reason only Good knows well since time was short and nothing could be learned...only good knows well, that in just one second you did change miself. -
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If everyone cared...
From guest Larry {of dawnandlarryking} (contact)
This is a beautiful poem that my Mom reminded me of today as we were discussing the nature of friendship. It occurrs to me that a modern-day version of this thought comes to us from one of my favorite bands, Nickelback, who says, "If everyone cared and nobody cried, If everyone loved and nobody lied, If everyone shared and swallowed their pride, Then we'd see the day, when nobody died." -
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From guest Bob Hershey (contact)
A beautiful poem I was introduced to at a funeral of a friend yesterday. Reminds me of the 'Cats in the Cradle' song from years back. We must relish what we have, in the now. Tomorrow may come or --maybe not -
a beautiful composition.......and a vry true expression.......wish if all could realize it on right time.............time when all is not lost
From guest priyanka......... (contact)
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From guest Raju (contact)
I keep this poem on my desk, and whenever I read it, I make it a point to call an old friend. I also let him know that I was reminded to call him because of the poem. This is a true reflection of today's times. -
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From guest Michael (contact)
THANKYOU FOR THE GREAT WORDS I CHOSE THIS POEM TO SPEAK ON IN COLLEGE AND BROUGHT EVERYONE TO TEARS AND A LIFE FULL OF MEMORIES FOR MY SELF. THANKYOU AND GOD BLESS. -
How much more true are Towne's words a century further on.
In the whirl of modern life the simple neighbourly habits are vanishing fast. Popping round to visit friends and neighbours was replaced by phone calls, then e-mails or texts and then just nothing -- all blamed on "lack-of-time".
Towne has it right when he writes
"And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend."
From Jim! -
Around the Corner
From guest Maryann (contact)
My grandpa had this framed and hanging in his home over 50 years ago and I always loved it! -
PRETTY GOOD POEM
From guest Micaelle Powell (contact)
I just read this poem and it's beautul! i think it means that if you love someone don't let he/she go. before you now it, he/she will disappear forever -
From guest rbruce (contact)
It is so sad that the business of living demands so much that friends are left out. Friends make the business of living a happier experience. -
wonderful heartfelt poem
From guest Harry M. Dodd (contact)
Former Congressman Tip O'Neil always recited this poem at his ' old friend's renewal gatherings in Boston' -
Heart touch feeling
From guest nazeer (contact)
This is the poem which first I ready in one of Indias magazine CSR about 20years back and it touched me so deep that I memorized it complete and always sending to other friends and reminding the reality of life of us should not happen as what CH Towne described in this poem. Because it happens with most of the people that sometimes back they were very close friends and with time passes because of one or the other matter viz., struggle for survival they start going away and away and remain just think of the past whenever get sometime in the busy schedule of the life. -
Timeless
From guest Candi Robinson (contact)
I copied this down 30 yrs ago. The message is timeless. The page I wrote it on is yellowed with age but the poem is as true today as when it was written in 1900. -
Amazing
One of the most beautiful sad pieces that I have ever read. It made me think of how fragile friendship can be if you choose not to fill the gap between you and your friends. A beautiful tragic meaning in here. I loved reading it! -
Makes me think of the song, The Cat in the Cradle (?) by Cat Stevens--a song that deals with a failed father-son relationship. This poem states so much about the risk of putting off friends. I guess it says something about why there are times we know to do the right thing but fail to--similar to smoking cigarettes--we know it can lead to health problems but...
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Awesome
I've gotten email after email containging this sad poem as it applies to me very much. It flows great and it is very easy to read out loud. Very clean style. -
His style is so clean and simple, yet there's so much to the poem itself. I think it's very true, and hasn't aged like other poems from that era.
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Human Nature
It's strange why we do this! Is it becausethose friends we meet along our pathway are there with us for a reason and we are never meant to spend our whole lives together or even close.
In modern life this still happens, even with the technology we have today when we have no excuse to go visit - technology didn't think of this did it?
Von -
Thanks for adding the missing line. When I read it, I saw that there was indeed something missing, but didn't know what till I read your note. -Thanks again.
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I have 3 variations of this poem and wonder which is right. In this poem there appears to be a line missing Line 13 is "Tomorrow" Isay! "Iwill call on Jim
Is the following missing Just to show that I'm thinking of him." It was my father in laws favourite poem.
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