AT
THE END OF THE DAY
For
my brother, Michael J. Conroy
Sunrise:
October 24, 1962
Sunset:
August 19, 2017
Just
past midnight, a few days after you had left us
Though
after many years of your illness, it was sudden in the end
I
sat and wrote this for you, after much prayer and deep reflection
In
awe of the wonders of life’s jagged road, with its curves on a bend
I
thought about our loss is really the beginning of your redemption
Thinking
back on our last conversation, as hindsight reveals perfection
We
said so many things that I now know needed to be said
I
looked in the mirror of our brotherhood with the clearest reflection
I
am so glad now that you took the time to reach out to me
For
so long, I felt it a burden, even guilty for not reaching out to you enough
Time
is not promised to us, and though memories last a lifetime
They
can fade in weathered passages, especially when the going gets rough
I
do remember, though we may not have been close as adults
Given
age, life circumstance and all that it can throw in the way
We
shared so much, straight from the heart especially when it came to
Baseball
games, splitting a meal, going to the movies back in the day
And
the music, let’s not forget about that – it was the common denominator
In
our family line, we can all remember jamming on any given Saturday
In
the living room, the four of us kids rocking it out
Music
runs through our bloodline so rich and strong
I
mostly remember occasions along the way
Christmas,
Thanksgiving dinners, Easter, our birthdays
You
going away to college, even that time you came to my show
The
distance between us meant nothing, by picking up the phone with a simple hello
It
is in these vignette’s from where I gain my strength now
I
can find serenity in the knowledge that you are not suffering anymore,
This
life’s struggles seemed mountainous for you
And
the worries a constant test of your faith
I
remember all the times you prayed for us, all the masses you requested be said
I
value the times you kept me in line, when you felt I had done something wrong
And
like any big brother, you guided me the best way you knew how and
In
the end, you finally showed me appreciation and gave me the acceptance from you
that I sought
Now,
I hear your voice so plainly as you broadcast to my senses
I
smell the fragrance of your spirit, I hear the music of your way,
I
touch the air feeling your energy, I taste the sweetness of ice cream,
I
see your greatness and love after all of it, at the end of the day
By
Antonio Cassone © 2017 – All Rights Reserved
