A Poem by my brother, Skid Solo

(Son, Sumner)
MY SON SANG A SONG ONE EVENING,
VOICE OF MILK AND HONEY, MAKING ME SMILE,
A CARRY OVER FORM MUSIC CLASS,
HIS OWN VESPERS FILLING THE SPACE WITH AN AFTERGLOW,
THAT CLEAR YOUNG VOICE , “WE ARE MAAARCHING IN THE LIIIGHT OF GOD.”

THE BREAKS AND PAUSES SEEMED TO COME
WITH EASE, GENEROUSLY, CONFIDENTLY,
THE HOLDING OF CERTAIN NOTES,
THEN THE RELEASE TO GATHER THE FOLLOWING MELODY TO COME.
AN EXPANSION. AND THEN THEY WERE GONE., THE HINT OF THE SONG
ONLY A FLICKER. THE DISAPPEARANCE LIKE A SPARKLER, BURNED OUT,
COMPRESSED.

MY SON WHO KNOWS ABOUT ABOUT SHRINKING,
WHOSE DREAMS WAKE HIM IN TEARS,
THIS BOY WHO SPEAKS OF ROBBERS AND ALARM SYSTEMS,
WHO SLIPS HIS HAND INTO MINE, ASKING WITH HIS EYES
TO WALK HIM ONE MORE TIME TO THE SCHOOL DOOR.
HIS FEAR HE FEELS IMMENSELY, SPILLING OUT OVER THE EDGES,
AND THEN IT IS GONE.

MY SON DRAWS AND COLORS FIGURES,
COPYING HIS BROTHER,
WHO IS LARGER THAN LIFE TO HIM,
A BEACON, STRONG,
BUT HE HAS NOT WORDS FOR THAT SO HE DRAWS,
HIS MARKINGS AN EFFORT TO CREATE,
THOSE SIZES, SHAPES, NUMBERS, NUMBERS, TEAMS,
THE MINUTE EXPRESSIONS ON THOSE FACES HE IS ABLE TO CAPTURE.
I WATCH, AND MARVEL, HIS FORM BENT DOWN, HOLDING HIS PENCILS
TIGHTLY IN HIS HAND, USING HIS SHADER, TRYING TO GET THE SHAPES
JUST RIGHT, A CONDUCTER, IF YOU WELL, POPPING UP FOR AIR TO JOIN THE SONG, SLOWING GAINING MASTERY, A GLINT OF JOY IN HIS EYES.

I HAVE WATCHED HIM CLOSELY, HIS SHAPING AND SHADING,
AS I HAVE BOTH MY SONS, MY APPRENTICES, STRIVING TO BE THE MASTER OF MY HOUSE. NOT ANY HOUSE OR SPACE.

I HAVE WATCHED SO CLOSELY, CATCHING MY BREATH,
BECAUSE I KNOW. I WANT TO TEACH HIM ABOUT THE COMPRESSION
AND EXPANSION OF FAITH. I WANT TO TEACH HIM ABOUT TAKING A SECOND LOOK, OR THIRD, LOOKING SO CLOSELY THAT HE FEELS THE SONG NEVER DISAPPEARS, THAT HE KNOWS IN ALL HIS ACTIONS, WE ARE PLACE ON AN EVER WIDENING PATH, ONE THAT ALWAYS CALLS.
AND IF WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE GLINT/FLICKERS OF LOVE, THE AFTERGLOWS, THERE WILL BE MADE VISIBLE AN UNBANDED LIGHT SURROUNDING US, A LIGHT THAT OPENS OUR LIPS,
AND RELEASES OUR SONG