Clemente, My Brother

many yrs ago my brother was born
7 yrs earlier than i he was named
after my grandfather as it had to
be, those were the hidden rules,
the male namesake, my mom
had no choice, Clemente it was

there were so many yrs between
us that i don't really remember growing
up with him, it just seemed we were not
connected, he was far away, invisible perhaps

he had a family a wife and three boys
i wonder sometimes if he was invisible to them
as well, as after 20yrs or marriage he was gone,
left them, he just, well moved on, and from what
i can see he did not look back!

i could have never done that, i could
never imagine my life without my boys
we are close the four of us
like a family team, they have taught
me so much, and i them
my sister-in-law has now become
my sister, no blood, but so very close

invisible then, invisible now
same parents, same blood
yet so very different

we lose life at certain times
it can be untimely or it
can be a life lived long,
either way its devastating

my brother is gone, but in a very different
way, still the feel of devastation is there

my brother is fine, very happy with his life
it is after all his life, his road to travel

life, so different~~