Do you have friends?
Or are you surrounded
by poisonous snakes
hating and continuously hissing
ready to bite you to death.

Do you have friends?
Or do you have informants
spreading, like veld fires, lies about you
to bitter people who are envious
of your endeavours and call themselves your enemies.

Do you have friends?
Or are you surrounded by hypocrites
without dreams and ambitions
whose only mission is to gossip
from sunrise to sunset.

Do you have friends?
Or do you have wolves
clothed in sheep’s skin
mocking and rejoicing
at your setbacks and pain.

Do you have friends?
Or do you have pleasure-seekers
who attend every party
dancing, drinking and smoking
and making you neglect your dreams.