on my oldest brother’s birthday

what shall I say

happy birthday to my brother
many
more birthdays
and painless shoulder
for a gift

and thank goodness
you’re the healthy one
of us
and selfishly
I count on that
as you
and then a model
for the rest

and so last seventy
by the way
we count
and it’s a good year
please
with all the good that is
and also due

c l couch

my brother Steve, 2 January


photo by Stavrialena Gontzou on Unsplash