Old Friends by David Banks Sickels

There are no friends like old friends,
And none so good and true;
We greet them when we meet them,
As roses greet the dew;
No other friends are dearer,
Through born of kindred mold;
And while we prize the new ones,
We treasure more the old.

There are no friends like old friends,
Where'er we dwell or roam,
In lands beyond the ocean,
Or near the bounds of home;
And when they smile to gladden,
Or sometimes frown to guide
We fondly wish those old friends
Were always by our side.

There are no friends like old friends,
To help us with the load
That all must bear who journey
O'er life uneven road;
And when unconquered sorrows
The weary hours invest,
The kindly words of old friends
Are always found the best.

There are no friends like old friends,
To calm our frequent tears,
When shadow fall and deepen
Through life's declining years;
And when our faltering footsteps
Approach the Great Divide,
we'll long to meet the old friends
Who wait the other side.