Following the Path

I said I want

my brother to follow

my lead–

but what does that mean

for me?

At thirteen,

despise the middle ground

bow down to no one

but the tooth fairy

and leave her dust in your tracks?

…

His smile opens

and my heart sings

at the magical essence

of aging make-believe,

family friends that,

at one time,

belonged to you,

proper pieces

of a simple jewelry box–

not the ones that make

my mask

but break it,

“Some people are irreplaceable,”

I say, meaning,

“Only some deserve it,”

and yet others say

days don’t count

when you’re lost in the desert–

when my brother

is just groping for some water.

September 29, 2014