Brother and the Martin Birds

They were back. What a delightful sight and sound as the martin birds returned to the southeastern part of the United States in the spring. The martin birds are dependent on humans for their home. My daddy had already raised the poles with the gourds he had raised on it for the return. It was an annual ritual for him.

My younger brother would spend hours observing the birds. I have memories of him running around with a big leaf in his hand imitating the birds and their sounds. Years after we had grown up, I often thought that brother should have become an ornithologist.

Brother joined the Air Force directly out of high school. He was shipped off to Texas for basic training. He changed after joining the service. He and I were over-protected in our youth so perhaps it was inevitable that the world outside our family farm would hold an attraction and a desire to embrace a faster way of living.

The anniversary of Brother’s death has just passed. He died 12 years ago. He had developed prostate cancer and waited too late to accept the treatment offered. I still grieve for my only sibling. I still retain some of the anger I felt towards him for not doing better with his life. It was a life that held such promise.