February 1987

distant brother

I pray for you

to a God you’ve never heard

that you may live

an extraordinary man

in an extraordinary life

I pray you may one day realize

the gift that your life is

to you

to others

to me

I who’ve never seen you

now pray

and write

and think

you’ve changed me

someday, I pray

my God will be yours

to turn your mourning to dancing

your evening to morning

and give you new eyes

for old

Written to/for Witold (Warsaw),

“Shooting Up Under a Red Star,” Time magazine, 87-01-19.

“I don’t want to be an ordinary man with an ordinary life.”