Once there was a friend.

He watched me from the sky.

Maybe he never lived at all.

Maybe too much friendship made him die.

When the gang played cops and robbers in the alley,

It was my friend who told me which were which.

Now he doesn’t tell me any more.

(Which team am I playing for?)

My science teacher built a telescope

To show me every answer in the end.

I stared and stared at every star for hours.

I couldn’t find my friend.

Every time I stood upon a crossroads,

It made me mad to feel him watch me choose.

I’m glad there’s no more spying while I play.

Still, I’m sad he went away.

He was like a kind of central-heating

In the big cold house, and that was good.

One by one I have to chop my toys now,

As firewood.