RANDOM HANDSHAKES - ALI H. RADDAOUI

Friday, October 14, 2016

THE LAST CALL

Listen to me brother
Lend me your ears
The hour of truth is drawing near
And protocol can go to hell
I got to share my fears,
Like they are with you
Here in my inner heart
I am using my last back channel
There may be many an eavesdropper
But I don’t care one iota
And it probably doesn’t matter to you
That I utter or do not utter what I utter
And you likely know before hand
The call I mean to deliver
Heart to heart, without interpreter
Listen to me, if you care
I am speaking to you
From behind closed doors
Maybe for the last time ever
I want to say in confidence
If I may
Like we have for scores of years
Please, please, por favor, seƱor
Though your response will likely be “No more”
I take a chance anyhow
For this maybe my last chance
The afternoon hours are behind us
And quite frankly,
Evening has overtaken me
You know we’re well-nigh brothers
We’ve shared bed and bread
As brother with brother would
We suckled the same udder
And the cord that fed us both
Digs deep into the womb of our mother
And I have shared my everything with you
So far as I remember
Gold, land, space, water, what have you
I want us bonded as brother to brother for good
For the good and the bad
But you’re leaving me
In my darkest hour
I thought we’d always walk together
Forever, hand in hand
I will wait for you
My elder brother
To change your mind
For after all is said and done
And is nearly gone, there is no one to turn to
Other than you

Only you, my brother.