ACROSS THE MENTAL GULF: HELLO TO MY LITTLE BROTHER

Just finished talking

To my little brother

Who used to be fit,

And robust

A personal trainer,

Runner of marathons for charity...

Until an angioplasty intervention

Sent a speck of plaque

Into the recesses of his brain

 – a stroke – 

 

And sent him far away...

From us

Now we talk through his interpreter,

My sister-in-law

Karen, who stuck with him, and 

Who's learned to understand...

And over a screen - across that mental 

chasm -

I told him we missed him

At Thanksgiving

And that I miss him every day...

And that I know he's there,

And that me and his mother – our

mother – will wait until he returns...

And told him we're here

For him

And he will return.

Today I spoke to my little bro...