Poetry
Black Sheep Of The Family
A girl’s lament at the love-hate relationship she shares with her brother
My very first memories of my brother
are those of me wondering how life would be different
if he was never born.
Would my parents think I am smart enough
when they would have no one else to compare my grades with?
Would I feel that my birthday presents were good enough
if he did not receive better presents year after year?
Would my achievements deserve praise
without him setting a standard for how much I should achieve
before I can be celebrated the way he always was?
Without my brother being the role-model,
would I be free to take my own path?
Would choosing a career in anything but engineering be an option?
And would my parents actually be proud of me,
rather than treating me like I let them down,
no matter how hard I tried to be good enough?
I was twelve when I first heard “Seasons In The Sun” by Westlife,
fifteen when I knew it was a…
