Interesting how quickly decades elapsed...
when first you initially dated
than pledged your troth to Amélie,
whose name - predicated on Google,
which I cited means\"work,\"
\"industrious,\"or\" hardworking\"
a wife and mother
of successful son Brendan
whose offspring a totally
tubular hip young man
who no doubt
draws the allure
of countless attractive women,
(like the papa does even as a setuagenarian)
one of whom will be lucky
to be his life partner
laudable steadfastness to marriage
with said older sister of mine
at least half life of hers and yours
and will remain faithful
to a grand dame
with folk wisdom renown
by maintaining permanent company
with a Jack of all trades and master of all
until death do thee part
such acts and deeds serve
as the mortar (a workable paste
made from cement, sand, water,
and sometimes lime),
spread between bricks,
stones, or concrete blocks
to bond them together
and seal gaps
to help cement a robust commitment,
and set a precedent
a shining example to a son,
who will invariably
carry on the marital tradition
courtesy sterling qualities
of a maternal figure,
who served as pivotal role
and unwittingly set high USDA standards
with qualities ideal
to seek out positive counterpart
when a chance accident of fate
presents a yet to be determined
gal who possesses strength
of body, mind and spirit
just like his admirable mother,
who thru adversity
gained survival instincts
exhibited thru each loving gesture
bequeathed commendable characteristics
to me, her brother,
who can only admire stoicism,
and even as a little boy,
adolescent and emerging adult
envies her qualities,
especially pertaining to how
she maintained order
amidst a chaotic
webbed, wide world
a nook of peace prevails
at 159 Leona Ave, Woodbury, NJ 08096
the childhood home Richard returned to,
where he spent avast number of years
harvesting quite a collection
of various and sundry items
that might fetch quite a fortune
if sold to the highest bidder
or maybe repurposed
as a historical shrine
and/or veritable treasure trove
of books, historical documents manuscripts,
musical instruments,
a plethora of eclectic
compact discs from a host
of musical artists,
as a smattering example
with just enough wiggle room
to maneuver after taking
a deep inhalation
before summoning will power
(and after writing last will an testament)
before taking the plunge
to head from one room to another,
plus an upstairs
housing at least one bedroom
once furnished in the likes
of a nature preserve courtesy
the ecological bent of a naturalist sibling,
thirteen months and twelve days my senior,
whose impact upon Mother Earth
left a positive footprint
and genuine impact on those kith and kin,
whose existence she amazingly graced
worth more than fine spun gold.