it didn't create history
when I was born
I was just one of millions of babies
born in a day
the fact is
a girl being born
just a little after midnight
is nothing spectacular
yet I disrupted routine
the nightly sleep of my mother
also that of my father
not to mention my two older brothers
my father used to tell me,
"one had no words,
but the other jumped at my birth,
dancing around my cradle when he got to see me."
what did it imply,
I wouldn't know,
maybe my brother feigned it
as no love is lost between us now.
I too don't claim that virtue
although I have tried to bridge that gap
"my brother of mine, I hope you come and dance at my funeral"
Poignant piece! Thoughtful. A provocative read, to be sure.
ReplyDeleteGautami, you touch the heart with your words..very deep, last line hits hard..can't feign my feelings.. exceedingly touching..
ReplyDeleteI liked this. It reminded me of how one seemingly small event can cause ripples around us...how we react to events around us...and how family can drift or break apart. I have family members that I will probably never reconcile with, and your last few lines reminded me of that.
ReplyDelete-Nicole
i like thinking about how the character of our relationships can be shaped (or revealed) so early on!
ReplyDeleteFor whatever reason, your poem reminded me of an exercise we had to do for a poetry class in college. We were to write about a parade being celebrated in our honor and who would be included and what costumes they would wear. Although I've done the exercise several times since, I like your idea of the affect of one's own birth even better.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth
A heartrending tale, obviously true. Very well done.
ReplyDeleteI like this poem, telling a story, but I think you're wrong, for your birth did create history and for that we're grateful!
ReplyDeleteYour lovely poem disrupts routine so neatly. I also like how you worked in the "nobody is perfect" line to show the depth of ambivalence between the narrator and the brother, strong enough to invite him to dance at your funeral! A sharp twist at the end!
ReplyDeleteAmbivalence, heartbreak, and love. Wonderful job!
ReplyDeleteI really felt this piece, from someone with sibling problems also, it really spoke to me...
ReplyDeletevery provocative. Deeply feeling, it drips with angst.
ReplyDeletelike a blow to the gut, that ending...
ReplyDeletewell done, as always.