A pig
is a jolly companion,
Boar, sow, barrow, or gilt --
A pig is a pal, who'll boost your morale,
Though mountains may topple and tilt.
When they've blackballed, bamboozled, and burned you,
When they've turned on you, Tory and Whig,
Though you may be thrown over by Tabby and Rover,
You'll never go wrong with a pig, a pig,
You'll never go wrong with a pig!
-- Thomas S. Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"
A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think
aloud.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), "Essays", 1841