My Big Brother
Always
had a
short
fuse
but now
it’s permanently lit.
Okay, it was never
hard to set Will off.
It used to be a game
I played, mostly
just for kicks.
It was funny, watching
the blood throb
in his temples.
But sometimes,
when trouble
was staring at me
and I wanted to aim
it in a different direction,
I’d rile Will up
until he blew.
Then, when Mom
or Dad started griping
about my behavior,
I’d point at my brother,
all red-faced and cussing,
and ask, “What about Will?”
I never thought
I’d get sick
of that question.
Check It Out
It’s been a long time
since I’ve said it straight
to my brother’s face,
but I love him, wicked
bad temper and all.
We used to be best-
friend brothers.
Will’s seventeen, which
makes him five years
older, and I’ve always
looked up to him.
Mostly because
he never looked
down on me.
When I was like
four, and most other
kids still rode tricycles,
Will took the training wheels
off my little blue bike
and taught me to ride it.
You can’t keep up on four
wheels, Trace, he said.
Even on two, it took a while,
but eventually, I did.
At least, I came close.
My Big Brother
Always
had a
short
fuse
but now
it’s permanently lit.
Okay, it was never
hard to set Will off.
It used to be a game
I played, mostly
just for kicks.
It was funny, watching
the blood throb
in his temples.
But sometimes,
when trouble
was staring at me
and I wanted to aim
it in a different direction,
I’d rile Will up
until he blew.
Then, when Mom
or Dad started griping
about my behavior,
I’d point at my brother,
all red-faced and cussing,
and ask, “What about Will?”
I never thought
I’d get sick
of that question.
Check It Out
It’s been a long time
since I’ve said it straight
to my brother’s face,
but I love him, wicked
bad temper and all.
We used to be best-
friend brothers.
Will’s seventeen, which
makes him five years
older, and I’ve always
looked up to him.
Mostly because
he never looked
down on me.
When I was like
four, and most other
kids still rode tricycles,
Will took the training wheels
off my little blue bike
and taught me to ride it.
You can’t keep up on four
wheels, Trace, he said.
Even on two, it took a while,
but eventually, I did.
At least, I came close.
/
