My brother passed away
On a cold night
In March
They told me
That if either of us died
The other would have a few hours
Before they also…
I had a few hours
I woke up
I couldn’t wake him up
My nephew would come
To check on us
His house was next to ours
My youngest daughter’s house
Was also nearby
We always kept
Our family nearby
My nephew knew right away
That his father was gone
But he couldn’t cry
Or cry out
Or…
He had to deal with me
People were sent out
All over town
And the family gathered
At the bedside
My brother’s body
It was…
It was already cold
Next to me
We were formed
At the liver
And so I’ve spent
Much of my life
Memorizing the face
Of my brother
I always thought
I would go first
Or maybe it was hope
Maybe I hoped I would
The toxins in his corpse
Were seeping
Into my body
I felt my life
Being pulled out of me
And I thought
How interesting it is
That life is pulled
Towards death
I suppose we’re all pulled
One way or another
Towards the next step
Of our existence
As the family surrounded me
One by one
They all took turns
Wishing me luck
Holding my hand
My wife…
My wife took it hard
And I understand
But my brother’s wife
Stood in the back
While her son
Held her hand
She didn’t get
To say goodbye
And I’m sorry
About that
The doctors always said
It would be five hours
If one of us died
Before the other
Joined him
I got six
Isn’t that nice?
An extra hour
I closed my eyes
And that was that
Some see the whole thing
As being ghastly
Dying with your dead brother
Attached to you
But that’s how I lived
It’s how we both lived
They offered to separate us
Many times
And when we said ‘No’
People thought
It was because
Of the danger
The…
I didn’t want to live
Any other way
I know that might be
Difficult to understand
But that’s how it was
I always wanted him
By my side
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