Freddy's brother

It was Freddy’s brother who had died
and we weren’t even sure of his name
because he wasn’t Catholic and we were.
But we
did attend the funeral in a dark, open,
empty church and sat in the back and
when it came time to kneel or stand,
mother told us to stay seated, to pray
from there, because he wasn’t Catholic
and we were.
And it not only seemed odd,
but it seemed wrong, but I stayed seated,
too, and to this day
I wish I’d not.