Athens 2016 - Brothers [poem]

My older brother

was in trouble.

He had spent all his money,

borrowed heavily,

cheated his creditors

and lied to his friends.

He had become so desperate

he had been selling some of his cherished possessions

and

he had become so distressed

he was no longer able to earn money

with his hard-earned skills and experience.

He asked for my help.

I am in a fortunate position:

my businesses have prospered and

I am wealthy.

I could easily have given him the money

that he needed.

I could easily have directed some of my businesses

to give him work.

I could easily have offered him

an open hand.

But I did not.

Perhaps I had misunderstood his condition.

Perhaps I had become selfish and narrow.

Perhaps I had fallen under the sway

of arguments from people

whose view of the world is

nasty, 

brutish,

and short.

I decided it would be best

to lend him more money

but only under the strictest of conditions.

I obliged him

to list all his remaining belongings

and to make provision for selling them.

I obliged him

to start earning money again

however he could

and to repay me in instalments

on a regular basis.

I obliged him

to submit to frequent and detailed inspections

of every aspect of his life

so that I could be sure

I would get my money back.

I humiliated him.

At first he was angry

and he shouted and protested

and accused me of trying to crush him.

For a while

he refused my offers

and his situation worsened.

Eventually

he called me

and agreed to my terms.

Now he is laid low.

Now he is crawling on the ground,

peddling trinkets and

collecting loose change.

He is able to pay me the interest I demanded

but no more.

Now his home is crumbling

and his visitors leave only the smallest of gifts

in return for his hospitality.

Now

the crazed and magnificent sparkle in my brother's eye

is hidden

perhaps gone.

Now, I am ashamed.

At his time of need

I thought only of myself.

Now, even if I forgive him his debts -

as I surely must -

and restore his house -

as I surely must -

and honour his name -

as I surely must -

he may never forgive me

and he may never return.

[If there's a photo down here it was added August 2017 as part of blog refresh.  Photo is either mine or is linked to where I found it. Make of either what you will.]