Dan Overgaard
My Brother's Watch
I have received, and wear, my brother's watch.
The hands that paced him wave as they go by,
and though I watch, I know I cannot catch
their time with him. They only wave one way.
But facing them is close to facing him,
which makes me turn again and yet again,
and I am learning more of telling time
since time is telling me some things to learn.
It's good to be reminded frequently,
but strange to be so close, and think again
how hands so near can measure what is far.
So now I feel my brother watching me,
and face him with more thought than I did then.
In this I'm late, I guess, but glad I'm here.
Bio
Dan Overgaard was born and raised in Thailand. He attended Westmont College, dropped out, moved to Seattle, became a transit operator, then managed transit technology projects and programs. He's now retired and catching up on reading. His poems have appeared in Allegro Poetry, Sweet, Triggerfish Critical Review, Poets Reading The News and elsewhere. Read more at: danovergaard.com.