Honoring my Brother on Veteran’s Day

Dedicated to my brother who fought in the Vietnam War and died last year.

Robert Alan Hilligoss 2/2/1948 - 8/19/2023

The Light that Comes On at Dusk

I may not have known your favorite color

Or your favorite team 

Your favorite thing for dinner

Or your favorite ice cream.

I may not have flown a kite with you

Way up in the sky

Or ran alongside you on the beach

Or shared mom’s chocolate pie.

I may not have known your best friend

Or what brought you joy

Or if mom or dad was your favorite

Or your favorite toy.

We may not have ridden bikes together

Long into the day

Candyland, Monopoly

Games we would never play.

We may not have had a pillow fight

Or made a man of snow

Hiked up to the dam at Lyons Lake

Some of the places we’d never go.

You may not have put me on your shoulders

And made me laugh with glee

Took a long drive to someplace exciting

Or ever gotten to know me.

But when I received that call

About the brother I never knew

I was told he’d fallen ill

And I came to help take care of you.

A favorite pet, a favorite song

Things we never shared

But to wipe your face, hold your hand

For those things, I was there.

And when you asked the Lord into your heart

To live, to save, to guide 

I heard you repeat every word

For you,  I was beside.

I promised you to try my hardest

To be there when it was your time to go

You will never be all alone I told you

Because God has told us so.

My brother was wrong when he said, 

“There’s nothing good to write about me.”

The best part is yet to come, dear brother

I’ll know you for all eternity.