Brother

Brother 

I

I’ve come from very far away

To bring bad news.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To find your window,

To find your ear,

To bring you the sad news

To take the joy from your sleep,

To spoil your bread and wine,

To sit in your heart each evening.

                                                                Song of the Crow I

                                                                Primo Levi

Imagine watching someone drown

                                someone you know someone

                                                you grew up knowing imagine

                               

                                you’d held his hand for as long

                                as he’d let you, through walking

                                into kindergarten and walking backwards out

                                without him because leaving him there was a mistake

                                but it was the only mistake available

                                                                don’t imagine

                                                                though I know

you will

                the screaming

                                starts even before you’re out

                                                of the room and someone’s holding

                both of you

                                                back

                                he’s five but a lit fuse five and sometimes

                               

                it’s a firecracker and sometimes

                                                               

                                                                it’s dynamite but it’s lit

               

                                and only you know how to douse the fuse

                                                but they take you they say it’s better

                                                                                this way

                                                like putting gravy on broccoli

                                                makes its sorry sag-

                                                ass taste better

Imagine this is the first lie

                they tell you and you’ll eat it believing

                it ain’t true but you do

                your bit because the truth is it's quiet that way

                and besides there ain’t nobody

there to save you

               

                                either

You’ve both been thrown into the water

                               

                                                of it

                                and while you gain the top

                               

                                                (but that’s a long time coming

                                                                                and another

                                                                                                story)

you’re watching him sink

                                to

                                                the

                                                                bottom

and one or two bubbles come up

                                between you both and the glass (It’s a kind

                                                                                of two tank observation

aquarium)

                                                                and you watch them

               

                                                                                the

                                                                bubbles you watch them

                                                                                come up and float

                                                                                                on top

                                                                sometimes you can’t

                                                                                                choose

                                which to watch:                the bubbles

                                                                or

                                                                                your brother

                               

                                when the ones on top

                                                                                P

                                                                                O

                                                                                P

he’ll stop he will

                                he’ll

                                be

                                s

                                t

                                i

                                l

                                l

he will be Jesus

once and for all

free of it

and you ain’t

                                glad

                                                but

                                                                you

                                                                                are.