Older Sister

You were in the pew next to me
You were in the backseat too
We summited the staircase
In that house with the big yard
Where we played after school

When I was Greenlight
You were Yellow,
and Dad was Red
When we became big girls
and outgrew bunk beds

Before we fasted prayers for lent
Before I knew
I was stealing space
Before you were “math tutor”
Before I learned shame

Before our joints carried
a percussion of fear,
and, still, to this day
It was your little knees
Knocking a melody into mine

Inspiration: This was in response to one of the NapoWrimo poetry prompts for National Poetry Month Challenge - prompt said to write about a platonic love. I chose my sister, Aubrey. We’re two years apart almost exactly (both July Cancers). We choose to be best friends even after being forced to be best friends. She was often patient and nurturing when other family members couldn’t be. She shaped a lot of my empathy. She was the middle child between two big personalities who demanded attention. She never resented Gabrielle (our oldest) or I for this, which is impressive. Kids deserve to be messy. It’s a natural part of development. She kept it together - kind of always? My mom calls her the angel child - when mom was pregnant with Aubrey, a Louisiana Psychic predicted that Aubrey was going to be an angelic spirit. She urged my mom to name her something with the word “Angel” in it, like “Angela”, but my mom was not going to take advice from a stranger about her children. She already knew her name was going to be Aubrey.

Inspired by the song “Aubrey Was Her Name” by Bread.

For “My Aubey”.