How does Clarke movingly convey feelings about friendship in Still Life? Still Life It was good tonight To polish brass with you, Our hands slightly gritty With Brasso, as they would feel If we'd been in the sea, salty. It was as if we burnished Our friendship, polished it Until all the light-drowning Tarnish of deceit Were stroked away. Patterns Of incredible honesty Delicately grew, revealed Quite openly to the pressure Of the soft, torn rag. We made a yellow-gold Still-life out of clocks, Candlesticks and kettles. My sadness puzzled you. I rubbed the full curve Of an Indian goblet, Feeling its illusory Heat. It cooled beneath My fingers and I read In the braille formality Of pattern, in the leaf And tendril and stylised tree, That essentially each Object remains cold, Separate, only reflecting The other's warmth.