Ode To My Brother

Recognized in 2006 – 2007 League for Innovation Student Literary Competition

Remember when we waited for the news that school was closed because of the snow?
We hoped for it and wished there would be ice on our street.
We wanted to try out that old sled.
We tried to tie it to your bike.

Remember the night we stayed up waiting for the year to change to 1980?
We were excited to see the change of a whole decade.
Together we wished, hoped, and dreamed for better days ahead.
We made hot chocolate that night.

Remember how I used to tag after you and your friends?
I couldn't catch your football or run as fast—even when you were after me.
I was excited to be with you—especially when you weren't after me.
I always wished for more of your time and hoped to catch your football someday.
I wonder if you’ve ever known that.

Remember when we broke the flower pot in the living room?
I told you I couldn't catch your ball and in the midst of our commotion,
It flew right into that flower pot in what seemed to be slow motion.
We hoped momma wouldn't notice when she got home.
I wished you hadn't thrown that.

Remember the cat that came in the open window the night we were watching T.V.?
We brought the dog in to chase it out. Boy, that didn't work!
I’ve not seen a cat climb curtains like that since.
That wasn't what we were hoping for on that day.

Remember when we were sent to our rooms and weren't supposed to talk?
We wrote messages on paper planes and sailed them down the hall to each other.
We hoped we wouldn't get caught.
We were already in trouble anyway.

I remember many things about our wishes, hopes and dreams.
I fly a different sort of plane with fewer hopes it seems.
More decades have changed and the days seem to crawl.
There are no flower pots or curtains and I still can't catch a ball.

I work when it snows and the ice always seems too thin.
I wish that I had more hopes and dreams these days as I did back then.
I hope that someday my wish will come true.
I dream about yesterday. How about you?