MyBrother

MY BROTHER

A brother is a male sibling; according to Webster’s definition;
You and he have the same parents, a family brought to fruition.
In many cases, you may grow to adulthood along with this man,
You may pal around, sometimes fight, and get along if you can.

My brother was our parents’ firstborn and the first grandchild,
I’m sure that saying they were all very proud is putting it mild.
After his maternal grandfather, he was given a nice Biblical name,
But so unique that some years later he became Bill not the same.

As I think about my brother and reflect on his relationship to me,
There comes to mind an almost stranger, he is much older you see.
A handsome young man in an air force uniform who went far away
To learn a trade and to protect our country while in a crib I still lay.

Not long afterward he married and then had children of his own,
Who became playmates when he was stationed in his home zone.
Nephews and a niece closer to my age than my sister or brother,
It even seemed that I also belonged to their other grandmother.

Each Brooks and DeRossett was to his children a grandparent;
I remember many good times at the DeRossett residence I spent.
Angie DeRossett, such a special lady, said to me many years hence,
“I’ve always considered you my own,” which only made sense.

As Bill and his family traveled for his assignments both far and near,
I saw him infrequently but the kids spent summers in town every year.
Then when I was sixteen, I spent the summer with him and his wife,
On the white sandy beaches of Mississippi, what a different life!

As we live, time has a mandatory job of making us all grow older;
Now Bill is retired and that shy little me is a whirlwind much bolder.
He lives in the deep South and I live in the mid-North so far apart,
Although I see him infrequently, he is always dear to my heart.

In 2005 on May 4 his birthday, he reaches the age of seventy-two
Years young; with a wealth of living experienced and also one who
Has an impressive resume; I’m glad to claim him as a friend as well;
I wish him a Happy Birthday and lots more good life stories to tell.