Asking for a Friend

I heard Annabel Jones’ Asking for a Friend and a couple of the lyrics really got under my skin.  They inspired the piece below.

I watch helpless
as sadness swallows
you whole
too weary to fight
you are going down
without a sound
slipping into the
deep stillness
where my arms do not reach
I call your name
over and over
into the darkness
while seeking a strong
rope or sturdy branch
to lower down to you
that I am not certain
you will even
try to grasp
passers-by pause, curious
at my frantic attempts to reach you
How do you stay clear?
How can you find peace?
I inquire of
the disinterested strangers
I am asking for a friend