My Brother

I am visiting my brother
Who lives alone in his
Seniors efficiency apartment
In Amsterdam where he still
Works crafting baroque period
Bassoons and classical music
DVDs with his friends,
It is the 1990s and we eat supper
And watch some BBC evenings.
We are watching one of his
Favorites and I glance over
At him at the best jokes to
Catch his eye and share a laugh,
He seems confused and asks
Me why I keep looking at him.
He has lived alone too long
To be able to share spontaneity,
I explain I am sharing the laugh
With him but he says it makes
Him uncomfortable so stop.
How many evenings has he sat
Alone here watching but not
Sharing and not knowing
What he is missing by
Living alone with only
His friend’s occasional
Visits to break his
Isolation and provide
Him human contact.
In a train station platform
In Germany we are sitting
Waiting for a train and he
Says he is hungry but there
Is nothing in the food court
Below the station worth eating,
I tell him I can find something
Delicious in the food court in
Less than three minutes time.
He raises one eyebrow and
Stands up to test my theory,
We descend the stairs into
The food choices aisle as I
Sniff the air and catch the scent
Of fresh-made French fries.
I purchase s small bag of hot
French fries salty with fat and
Proceed to eat them in front
Of him until he orders a bag.
We return to the platform
To await our train and I
Hazard a glance at him,
He looks back at me
As he munches his
French fries
And he
Smiles.