An Ode to Brothers
Stories about brothers
Are the best types of stories.
Whether it’s as simple
As him sharing the last chocolate chip cookie
With you
Or he saves you from drowning
When you fall in a pool
And you’re too young to know how to swim.
Brothers
Are indeed
The best type
Of heroes.
Too bad I don’t have one.
Older brothers laugh with you
And tell you jokes
Which make you laugh so hard
Milk squirts out of your nose
Like my best friend from third grade.
All the girls ran shrieking
And while she was blushing
He was patting her on the back
And laughing
As if it were the funniest joke ever.
Brothers do not
Get put up for adoption
And never once come to find
Their real family
For nineteen years
Or even write a letter,
Give a phone call,
Or even email
Their little sister who always wanted to have
An older brother.
Older brothers are your knight in shining armor
Standing with the sun gleaming off their silver chest
As they glare down at the kid who has been bullying you
Like my best friend’s brother did
In eighth grade.
They do not treat you
Like a girl friend
And substitute you
For some girl they can do anything with
Because you’re too small to stop him
Older brothers are your best friend
Who hold you when you have nightmares
About a giant clown chasing you
And they tell you it was just a dream
Like my best friend’s brother did
In ninth grade.
Older brothers do not brush you off
As if you don’t exist
And then when they absolutely have to introduce you
He says that you’re his “evil step sister”
Who thinks she sees ghosts
When that was a secret you confided in him
Back when you were still a child.
So you see
Even though I have three older male siblings,
When we talk about true brothers, I have none.
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