Brief

Brief

For a brief time in my youth
he was a friend of mine.

He was several years younger than me,
physically smaller, but incredibly strong
and cool
like James Dean cool-

At his work
he didn't tire
and he listened well
and learned quickly
                                                and always smiled, despite it all
                                                like a kid brother.

It's been years now
since tragedy robbed him of his potential
and when i saw him
at a neighborhood sub shop
being hand fed in his wheelchair
wearing the blank stare of a stranger
with my heart in my throat
i remembered...

For a brief time in my youth
He was a friend of mine.

VINCENT LEVINE is a free-lance writer and can be reached at: vincent.levine@rocketmail.com