Family of Friends
A proactive selfless love–
the empathy of siblings–
reminiscing on ordinary days–
and suddenly I cannot breath:
Why did my zeyde choose others?
When he passed, my cousin
moved from picture to picture,
the temperature of his skin,
the focus of his eyes,
the great grip of sorrow–
and I wondered what it was like to be him.
Does no one understand
tears of exhaustion–
and so I turn from my family
to my family of friends.
hold the hand of my wife,
a beautiful woman of color
and am always hopeful
even as I know if I pass first,
they will place her on a shelf
in the farthest parts of the attic
and soon forget her name.