Brian’sPoems

Mentor

He taught me to play racquetball,
then proceeded to whip me for a month
until my youth and perseverance
turned the tables.

He showed me the South
from a mountain man’s perspective,
and took me deep into forests
I didn’t even know existed.

He brought me to football games
and introduced me to his son.
Along the way we’d stop in small towns
and eat at local restaurants.

He was good at being himself,
a very ordinary maverick
and a modern eccentric
who loved lighthouses
and would wear shorts in the winter.

He died a little too early
with a quiet acceptance
of the world’s indifference
to a man no longer able to produce.

He opened another door to manhood
and showed me life is not about climbing,
but rather seeing yourself in nature
and appreciating the beauty of it all.