Poem: My Brother

My Brother

Allan Brown 1938‒2024

Me newborn ‒ Allan 10…

Me 5 ‒ Allan 15…

If he resented me

I didn’t notice.

If he teased me

I can’t remember.

If he was mean to me

it didn’t harm me.

He would hoist me in the air

my toddler-tummy on his upstretched legs

and I was a fledgling, flying.

He bought my first record ‒ 45 rpm.

I danced around the lounge room

singing and pretending I was Elvis.

He taught me to bat like Bradman

and bowl with a twist of my wrist

and to sit astride my 44-gallon-drum horse

an apprentice racing towards her future.

He’s my protector.

He’s my brother.

Me 75 ‒ Allan 85.

*After 86 marvellous runs

a googly finally defeated his defences.

Susan Willett, living on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, is a retired teacher and Deputy Principal who specialised in teaching English Literature and Language. With degrees in Education and Educational Administration from Flinders University, she also holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL). In addition to her career in South Australia and Victoria, teaching took her to England, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and China. Today’s poem is from Susan’s collection From the Heart: rainbows and thunderclouds, published and launched last month, enquires regarding which can be made at vhtowncrier.com.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.