‘Band of Brothers’ and Other Narrative Sonnets by James A. Tweedie

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Band of Brothers

A picture of two soldiers in their prime.
A scribbled note in cursive on the back.
“My Dearest Son, if ever comes a time
When I am gone, whatever you may lack
Or need, just phone this number. When you do,
Just tell the man who answers who you are,
And he will be as like myself to you.
For he and I were brothers in the war.”

Today I got a phone call from a teen
Who asked if I would buy him a new bike.
When I found out what he had read and seen,
And heard his name, I told him I would like
To do that very much. From that day on
I cared for him as if he was my son.

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Good Neighbors

I knocked, he answered. “’Morning, Phil,” I said.
“I hate to bother you but would you mind
If I could use your mower? Mine’s gone dead.”
As neighbors go, Phil is the generous kind.

“Of course,” he said. “And here’s my edger, too.
And if there’s something else, just let me know.”
In winter I have done what I could do
To keep Phil’s walk and driveway clear of snow.

A cup of sugar or two cups of flour
Are often passed between his house and mine.
Some days a cup of coffee and an hour
Or two to chew the fat will blur the line
Between what’s “his” and “mine.” Our very lives—
We share it all, except, of course, our wives!

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What the Good Samaritan Knew

The car in front of me pulled right
And to the side, its rear lights flashing red.
In front, what had been hidden from my sight,
The carcass of a deer lay limp and dead.

Another car was lying on its side,
Its front end crumpled where it had just struck
The doe that suddenly appeared, and died.
The driver was unhurt, by grace or luck.

I pulled up, too, and talked but mostly stood
Until a sheriff’s deputy arrived
To call a tow. I asked him if I should
Have stopped or passed on by, and he replied,

“To stop is good, I guess, but not if you
Have no idea what you’re going to do.”

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James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and four collections of poetry including Sidekicks, Mostly Sonnets, and Laughing Matters, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in both print and online media. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition.