Inventory

On Facebook I have 484 friends.
I am related to 16 of them.
I have met 41 of them many times.
I meet 79 of them regularly.
142 of them I have met a few times.
89 of them I have met once.
114 of them I have never met.
I haven’t the faintest idea who 3 of them are.
I went to school or university with 16 of them.
Around 60 I met in group activities.
Around 270 I am friends with because we share a career.
I would say that 7 of my Facebook friends are best friends.
I would say that 20 of them are good friends.
Some of my best and very good friends are not on Facebook.
On my birthday 62 of my 484 friends wished me a happy birthday.
This was a reduction of 16 on last year.
This past year I have posted 68 times
on average 5.6 times a month.
I post most frequently when I am on holiday or on excursions
usually holding a glass of fizzy wine.
I am jealous of the amount some friends go on holiday
drink cocktails at the top of tall buildings or have career success
but to counteract this I put ‘Like’
and then I feel better about myself.
I log on to Facebook between 3 and 7 times a day.
Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the sadness
people I hardly know are sharing.
I do not share my sadness on Facebook.
I have cried with despair in front of 4 of my Facebook friends.

© Lorraine Mariner
from Ten Poems about Friendship, Candlestick Press