Poetry: Goodbye, My Brother

Life gives and takes

People grow apart

The distance multiplied by years

Far from sight

Out of reach

But memories continue to speak

Sometimes they are harsh

Others are bitter recriminations

Though they cannot erase what was

Friends become family

Family become acquaintances

There is no superiority

Those dearest do not need blood

Shared experiences can dominate

Until family is no longer an accident of birth

Some we grow old with

Others are gone too soon

The pain doesn’t diminish

But the weight will lessen

Hold those people close

The ones who fill the gaps

Left by sorrow or need

Cherish their presence

It won’t last forever