Remember the days when you would tease me
until my insecurity overflowed
and I ended up punching you?
Remember how you’d go crying to mom,
and get me thrown in my room for an afternoon
of exile in my imagination?
Those were good days.

Remember when summer sunlight
was in infinite supply?
Remember when our backyard was an endless frontier,
and we never got tired
of exploring the branches of the big oak tree
we used to climb?

Remember when you gave me a black eye
because I was standing in front of the TV
I don’t, but I’ve been told
it must have hurt a lot.

Remember how much you hated me
for breaking my leg,
because I got more attention than you?
Remember how much you hated me
when I suggested that, if you wanted attention,
you should have let me break your leg?

Now, siblinghood is complicated.
We can’t find obvious things to fight about.
There are no scraped knees and bruises
to poke and prod.

Now the endless frontier has been mapped,
and we are stepping out into a larger world,
shielding our eyes from the sun,
and searching for a tree to climb
so we can watch this adult life
pass by below.

———————

About The Author:
Josh Stewart is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto who is a fan of hats, sushi, and Tuesdays. His first chapbook Invention of the Curveball was released by Cactus Press in 2008.