The Carbon Cycle IV: The Old Man

I had a brother just like you.

he says, as I relinquish some change to the tender
a young man of perhaps eighteen
a hopeful high school senior

Take your cup of coffee and sit.

An old man beckons
A young man listens.

He wears a hat and holey coat
sits down, takes his cap off
He is gray and patchy

He was just like you.

he says, the old man
the patchy, gray, holey, old man

His fingers are nervous yet his voice is warm
warm and desperate for something
Comfort is all, I believe.

There was a time, when I was young -

He says, mouth chewing on a straw
Eyes looking lost and wandering

I used to take medicine when I was young -

Brief insight and clarity into an old man
the gray, sober, old man

But that was long ago.

Chewing on a straw.

My brother would have needed medicine.

Eyes looking down, at the table
Anywhere but me.

So much medicine, so much care.
We would have done it, too - anything.

A reminiscent old man.
Coffee, cool enough to drink.
Light but still bitter. Hot but not burning.

I used to garden when I was young -
My brother might have gardened, were he able.
Now he is able but I am not. Our timing was not so good, was it?

The old man gets up and with the slow swing of a door is gone.
Wondering and wandering, yet with a purpose in his step.
On the street, walking home.

Even I am someone’s brother.

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There are four poems in this series. Chronologically written and by sequence, this is the last one.

I apologize, I cannot get it formatted the way it should be read.