Absent Brother

I never heard your last goodbye,

no door was slammed, no angry cry.

Just silence, like a held in breath,

the sudden, aching weight of death.

Your laughter echoes in my chest,

a ghost that never lets me rest.

You wore your smile like armor thin,

how could we not see within?

You bore the storm we couldn't name,

your light dimmed by unspoken shame.

You held the weight, concealed the cry,

and left us all to wonder why.

I searched old photos, the frozen frames,

where time still speaks your softer name.

The sun keeps rising, cold and bright,

indifferent to our endless night.

Did you feel lost? Did you feel small?

Were you afraid to say it all?

I would have held you tight, and true,

I would have given breath to you.

Now every sky has lost its blue,

and songs we loved feel sharp and new.

Your shadow walks these halls at night,

a hush behind the hallway light.

They say the soul moves on, finds peace.

I hope you’ve found some kind release.

But grief is love that has no place,

and mine still seeks your absent face.

I walk through days you’ll never see,

but take your love along with me.

in the silence that you left,

I learn to breathe, though never forget.