Why would I hate you
Brother?
A heart's allowed to grieve
I would forgive you
Throughout time
"Forever"
And in-between!
Some of us recover
Even overcome
You were once as close
As Jesus to the sun
I sill love you
Brother
And now it's said and done.
..............................................

If I could brew
Relief into
His cup of coffee
I would.

All I do
Is make the coffee in the morning,
And ring him up for a dollar fifty,
I’m not really part of his life,
Just his morning routine.

But I’m the one he tried to buy
Yesterday’s paper from,
Because it had his son’s obituary,
And I refused to let him pay.
I wish that wasn’t
All I could do.

I’m sorry Tom.

Peace
In the laughter
Of my sister’s daughter.
The ringing singing
Of playtime.

Peace
In the squealing
of my sister pushing her son
In his wheelchair
As they play tag
With his siblings.

Peace
In the scolding
In the fussing
As my niece has her hair brushed,
In the tears as bedtime is declared.

Peace
In my brother-in-law
Racing his two oldest
Down the sidewalk
To the playground.

There is peace
In this home.
Safety in the discipline,
Kindness in the scolding,
Love in the story time.

Peace
In the home
My sister built.

I corpse the lie
with lively brilliance
and placed detail

I panel over the guilt
a quilt that I don’t heal

I maintain none of the muscle ticks
or gestures
that engaging humans fashion

Nothing shows
as I
in simple say
that
I Love You

It’s a glove I wear
and bare for you
so that I may keep your company
which I value over most things