Believe it or not,

the sadness took a while,

I could see the coffin

rolling along up the center aisle,

with a procession of mourners behind it,

the grief would suddenly hit,

I held back the tears,

as I suddenly felt the fears,

I thought at that moment

that the strength in me would falter

at the very sight of the alter,

four young black women

in the background would sing,

the church bells would ring,

my mind seemed so muddled

and tortured like a meaningless thing,

I closed my eyes for a moment,

and tried to banish all thoughts,

there was no caution

in my exhaustion,

my heart just bleeds,

as I heard the whispers of prayers,

and the tiny clicks of the rosary beads,

I thought persistently of my brother,

the air was still,

but I felt the chill,

and I waited to say good-bye,

he died suddenly,

and I didn’t know why,

he died so young,

as if the entire world had just past him by.