Belariath

Here will be found a series of poems Callie Volopa is writing about her friends. Fittingly, her first poem is about her best and oldest friend, Syl`Zhalti.

Syl`Zhalti

Syl, my best and oldest friend,
I've watched you grow from a timid, shy, bullied little girl
Into a strong, confident, beautiful young woman.

I remember when we first met.
You were at the center of a circle of hecklers,
Making fun of you for your lack of a tail.
You were trying so hard not to give them the satisfaction
Of seeing you cry, and you were losing the battle.

I stood up for you,
And when one unfortunate boy pushed his luck,
I knocked him flat on his ass.
We were inseparable from that point, you and I.

You quickly found your passion,
Even before I found mine.
I knew that when you were behind a locked door,
You were not to be disturbed,
Because you were making your latest artistic masterpiece.
You'd be in there for hours, only coming out to eat.
As an older, but flightier girl,
I admired your focus.

You've always said you admire me for my strength,
But I admire you for yours, as well.
When I left Verlosi'ka, I knew not where I was going.
You stayed there for years without me,
And maintained your difficulty in making new friends.

When you arrived in The Lonely Inn,
I almost couldn't believe it.
I recognized your voice from the office,
And ran out to greet you.
And I was surprised and delighted by what I saw!
You'd earned your first tail!
I always knew you would!

And your artistic ability was better than ever.
I can do many things well, but I can barely draw stick figures.
We fell back into our deep friendship like the years had never passed.
We caught up on old times, and looked to the future.

There are so many memories of our childhood that I cherish,
But perhaps the greatest memory is more recent.
When you bought your new house, and promptly fell asleep,
The Lady appeared to us both and granted you your second tail.
I got to watch it grow! What a moment!
And you woke up repeating the words, "Thank you!
"Thank you, thank you!" over and over again.

There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, my best and oldest friend.