My story is about lung cancer. My brother, Ricky, was born deaf. After graduating from the School of the Deaf and Blind, he landed a very good job. He lived a care-free life to the point that family was not aware of his health issues. Needless to say, it was a blow to us when we learned of his diagnosis and months later passed away in a local hospital. It was heartbreaking because I am not sure if he fully understood the nature of his illness. To honor him, I wrote this poem for his funeral. Thank you for allowing me to share.
My Brother, Ricky
GeNeise Fuller – Author/Poet
From the day he was born
He could barely hear or speak
Major decisions had to be made
So his full potential could be reached
My Mom chose to enroll him
In the best school around
Unfortunately, that meant
Several miles out of town
From childhood to young adult
The school was his temporary home
Our family felt the loneliness, shared the tears
But determined he would not feel alone
From weekends to weekends
Holidays, and Lord, so many games!
We put many miles on that Firebird
From his beginning to his Hall of Fame
He excelled in academics
And in sports too
He was the hardest worker
With a heart that would melt you
He lived life on his own terms
As full as it could be
He smiled big and loved hard
Now, he is carefree
No more pain, Ricky; no more sorrow my brother
No more being misunderstood
You are now in the presence of the Almighty
And we know now, your life is Good!
