A handful of dirt

[Todd]

Hi Keith, a couple comments. 

You handle narrative well. I get drawn in easily.

Wonderful title. It's visual and establishes what's going on immediately.

It would have been a glance across a crowded bar,
a nod to the wise and a pint half raised.
We were never any good with words.

A mound of fake grass masks the reality --personal preference but I'm not fond of grass/masks.
of freshly dug earth. You’ve been hiding
while the word spread, flowers darkened--flowers darkened is lovely phrasing
and everyone who knew you was your friend.--makes the was poignant. Nice tight character sketch.

Finally you arrive, I think of fulcrums--like fulcrums as a break and specific word choice.
and moments as little Joey shoulders
all your weight again. I don’t recognise you--would it be all? surely 1/6th though metaphorically if a son maybe all.
as they speak of a child becoming a young man,--prefer events rather than summary of time passing. Events hold emotive power summary robs it of power.
but I can see you glisten in your mothers eyes.-- mother's. It's a bit sentimental but I like it.

Later we’ll bring you back to life--Good break on the line though I might like this line to be the end line of the previous strophe to give the grief a moment to settle before the white space. I would like the "later" to exist wholly below this line.
with good whisky and songs, sell each other stories--typo: whiskey. Did you mean "tell" rather than sell. Again this is pushing toward summary. Reminding each other of one point and then summarizing might hold more emotive strength.
of how it always was with you.
I’ll see you across the crowded bar, raise my glass
and you’ll know we were never good with words.

Hope the comments help. It's a good start.

Best,

Todd