Author/Adobe Express

Free Verse Poetry

Islands

The First of Many Dreams

There was vinyl flooring
in my older brother’s bedroom
due to his severe allergies.
Gray duct tape covered
the floor vent register
and the only soft surface
where socks did not slide
was a small throw rug
just inside the door.

His most fascinating fixture
was a turquoise humidifier
that frequently sighed
with a puff of steam
and was topped
with a tiny red light.

Many nights fear
would overwhelm me
as I lay in my own room,
mainly of mice
and their clicking feet
when they scurried
through the heating ducts.

I would grab a blanket
and run down the hall,
opening his door
as stealthily as is possible
for an impatient child.
Then I would curl up
on the small rug
and just that proximity
to my brother
would ease both fear and discomfort.