Poems for Anthony

My brother Anthony passed away on Oct. 28, 1999. I have a keepsake box full of letters, gifts, and postcards he sent me over the years. I wrote two poems during that time, and I keep them there, too. I have never shared them, but I want to now. The writing is immature, but the sentiment, for me, remains unchanged; so I don't find myself wanting to change anything about the poems:

I Knew the Wizard of Oz

I knew the real-life Wizard of Oz -
He could do anything
He read to me Curious George,
Only I was his little monkey, not George
He made a Donald Duck voice and told a story;
A bunch of poor little horses falling off a cliff -
I would roll in the floor and laugh.
I saw him in his coffin,
The poor Wizard,
But he told me not to weep.
"Hang on," he said to me, while I slept,
"Don't let go of the big brother bear hugs I gave you."
I knew the real-life Wizard of Oz -
He could do anything
We grew up, he protected me
He still does.
Everyone knows that the Wizard of Oz
Can never really die.


Time

Has it been a month?
It feels like a day
I stood there and cried
A shell casing in my hand;
I laid it before you
Has it been a day?
It feels like a month
The weak have become week
The strong have become weak
The Wizard of Oz is farther away than ever.
And now we realize how we really need him.

Has it been a month?
It hasn't rained since then.
A month is a long time to go
Without rain.

It's been a month.
Soon it will be two.
We miss him more.
I want him here.