Brother

I used to love you
when you would make me laugh
at saturday morning cartoons;
I could look at you at the dawn
summer morning and think
"You're my hero
you'll never change
will you?"

Now I love you
simply because you are my brother;
that if I didn't love you
I'm afriad no one would
and you deserve more than that.

So hard to look at you
imagining how I used to look up to you
see the clear summer sky;
now who are you, drunk driver?
wife hater.
daughter neglector.

I just didn't recognize you
because you weren't looking at me
and you resemble someone who's lost
unwilling, hesitant, embarrassed
by the prospect of being alive.

My love for you is barely there,
but what little I have left
is in a vile, a small label
with your first and last name
social security number
and blood type.