The Reunion

On entering the room that afternoon I felt the joy of moments long ago, recalling stories penned in ancient rune; saw faces from the past I used to know; the old familiar faces of my brothers. I walked around the room and shook their hands, exchanging hugs with brothers from my past, and sharing tales, recalling all our plans, of future dreams back then we had amassed; the ever hopeful daydreams of my brothers. As we exchanged the greetings of this day and caught up on the moments spent apart, we shared old stories somewhere tucked away while laughter poured from deep within our hearts; the old familiar laughter of my brothers. Yet as we talked I noticed in their eyes how time had stolen moments of their youth, a fate that even time could not disguise, their faces bearing tell-tale lines of truth; the certain aging faces of my brothers. And as my eyes scanned slowly round the room, my mind saw faces that have disappeared, their voices echo from a distant tomb, their faces fade to shadows vaguely clear; the shadows of the ghosts of missing brothers. January 26, 2025