October’s breath caused my spine to shiver
Burnt orange colors swirled around my face
Landing comfortably on the earth,
Leaving a slight crunch beneath my every step,
That led me closer to the stone tablet

My mind plunges into a nightmare,
Unwilling to free me,
until the scene plays in my head
For the umpteenth time,
I remember the phone screaming in my ear
The tumbling out of bed
My mothers voice:
Shaking and scared,
Her piercing words
Like daggers in my heart
Engraving its mark on my soul,
Wounds that eternity cannot heal

Memories of the following week
A black whole engulfs all emotion,
Only satisfied when I was confined into my own bed
The mail lay unread,
The bills not paid,
Soup half eaten
A chill in my soul such that no coffee could heat,
No blanket can warm
My favorite painting dull
Life in a colorless world
That no smile can brighten

The stone tablet stared at me
Teasing me to come closer,
To face reality once and for all
As I neared tears trickled down my cheek
Not for myself,
But for him
For all the memories we had
And all the memories that will never be made

The stone felt like ice,
Deaths kiss was fresh upon its lips.
I cleared the name of leaves
It was my brothers.
I did not plant flowers or rake his surroundings
Leaves were left scattered around his grave
Fall was his favorite season.