The Brother..... Poem by RIC BASTASA

i used to be the youngest
of five
and pampered as the only boy
of the family

when the rumor about the war
came
and father enlisted himself
as a soldier
our youngest was born and he
is a boy

and there are two of us now
boys and the gap was quite spacious
ten years

and so he plays in the yard
while i read a book and draw
and paint

and the differences become many
to account
and he dislikes me as much as
i dislike him
sort of sibling rivalry

our sisters do not mind much
until we parted.

and so we move on with our lives
apart from each other
on misunderstanding, torn hearts,
stains remaining, memories shattering.