Ode to My Brothers

By Tom Rodriguez

Part I
The Growing Years

The Rodriguez Brothers
Branches of a big tree
Descendants of Aztec warriors
And Spanish conquistadores

The children born to two
Immigrants from Mexico
Who lived through
The Great Depression
And endured to find
Love and start their family

Richard, Thomas
John and Michael
Was the order of
Our birth

And so began the
Bond of brothers
A bond that’s like no other
The anchors in my life

We were called
The Four Bears
A name that stuck
And always
Made us smile

We slept two to a bed
In one large bedroom
You get to know each
Other pretty good
When you
Grow up like that

Everyone should have
Brothers like mine
My constant companions
Our roots grew deep
Connected by love

We were a family
Standing side by side
We fought and laughed
And cried together
In good times and bad
As we learned life’s
Important lessons

I could not have
Chosen better brothers
They were there
With me through
Everything

Part II
Living The Dream

We grew tall and lean
Strong of body and mind
As we ventured
Out into the world
Secure in the values
And principles
Passed on to us by
Our beloved parents

Richard to the Air Force
Thomas to the Army
John to college
Michael to the Army and
To Vietnam

Back home again
Following our service
We all found wives
And started families

Successful careers
Richard at the Post Office
Thomas, John and Michael
Earned college degrees
And found good jobs
Life was good
For the Four Bears

My brothers were
Wise men that I confided in
And sought advice from
We seldom had arguments
And when we did, it was
Always with love and respect

Part III
Life’s Cruel Blows

Sometimes in life
Fate steps in and
Breaks a heart
As lives take
Unexpected turns

Hard as it may be
No one lives a life
Without some pain
Still, I always thought
That we would live long lives
But I was wrong
Nothing lasts forever

In two short years
Death took my brothers
The cruelest years
I’ve ever known

My treasured friends
Who shared my name
That I loved and cherished
Were gone forever
And I remained

For all of my life
My brothers were
Always there to lean on
To encourage and listen
To understand and
Give me unconditional love

With their passing
A frightening
Unshakeable
Heavy feeling
Of being alone
In the world
Enveloped me

Sadly
So much was
Left unsaid
And undone

I have never
Been the same
Or ever will
Be again
And thoughts
Of my brothers
Still flood my mind
Almost everyday

As the years go by
I have often thought
Do people really die
When there are still
Loved ones who
Remember them
I know the answer now
Because my brothers still live in me

So rest in peace my brothers
I was blessed
To have known you and
I will keep you alive and in my heart
For all the remaining days of my life