His brother’s tree

He's lying in bed in the dark, taking in the ambient sounds of a another day passed. Crickets outside sing to him, the house subtly creeks and groans as it settles. The stillness is calming, a quiet he doesn't believe he'd ever take for granted. He turns to his window to see a soft light briefly pass through his thin curtains. He gets up and makes his way outside.

He's in his backyard now, barefoot on the soft grass. He looks up and a star filled night sky looks down. He takes in the sight, his gaze gratefully roves across the starlit heavens. Another wave of calm washes over him. He makes his way to the front yard. He stands by his older brother's dogwood tree and looks up again. The last remnants of clouds flow by and give way to the white light of the moon that gently covers the earth.

He closes his eyes and imagines himself floating away. He turns to look down on the house and yard and everything else aglow from the celestial body. He sees himself, and he cries and prays for peace for the boy standing next to his brother's tree.