Completely out of tune

but nonetheless, while recently cleaning out a drawer
of clutter and happening upon an old black and white photo,
creased with some Russian lettering penned in brown on the back,
of a relative, an uncle, and having met him only once,
due to some confusing familial estrangement, remembering how
it became necessary to call his relatives to apprise them of
a family funeral three years ago and in doing so, becoming
caught up in a conversation about him, since he had also passed,
and learning things about this man, blood relative, for the
first time, learning how he played violin in a symphony
"as a hobby", how he was a published writer, one time researcher
in cold temperatures at NASA, university professor and three time
PhD. Three PhD's, one in mathematics, one in business and one in
physics. As if one wouldn't be enough. And how he must have been
an insatiable learner, one who passed through systems well,
through academe, but even so, managed to retain the heart
of a musician.

And
wishing
I
had
known
him.