My brother
Is the strong one of the family
He offers a hand to me
Whenever I try and retreat
To the far corners of my imagination
For lack of a better escape
Slowly,
Gently,
He pulls me out with a grip that is warm
And strong
When we’re both standing
I pretend the moisture on my face is not tears
And I ask
“What took you so long?”

He’s getting taller than me
Though I’ll never admit it
The stupid grin he wears when the subject comes up
Says enough
So I shove him
And say I’ll always be taller in age

We play together
Sometimes for competition
Other times for distraction
I let him lead until he gets frustrated
And then I take over
He loves to play the leader
But I catch the look on his face
When his duties are relieved
We’re the perfect team
Always know when the mood’s too serious
And willing to change it to make the other
Smile

But I can’t help him when he is under attack
I can’t be there for him
And suffer his blows
I can barely move
Tears leak out of my eyes
But he remains stony
Solid
No sound comes from him
Until it is over
Only then can I break my spell
And prod him into speaking

But every time he retreats
I can only wait for him
With all the patience in the world
At the opening of the cave
When he emerges he is smiling
But his eyes are only partially touched
And I have to wonder
To myself as I take his hand
How he can be so brave on his own
When I’m supposed to be brave
For him