Love

I held my brother in my arms
He was squirming
not to get free
Just excitable

He was
Laughing
about something
The laugh
bubbling up in his stomach
and spilling out of his eyes
and his mouth
his breath coming in short bursts
bubbles of pure joy

The joke was silly
But the happiness was real
Real enough to write a poem
About that stolen moment in time

And as I was holding him in that moment
I knew
This boy I loved
Loved in a way
so simple
yet so complex
A mesh of different emotions
in a simple net

Protectiveness
No harm should come to this boy
Let anyone be hurt
before my brother is hurt

Fear
That what with all
the mollycoddling
the boy ain't gonna grow up

Pride
That hat trick math wizard winner
The class topper
The singer of two different styles of music
The player of the piano
The yellow belt in Karate
Is my brother

Gratitude
To my parents or
anybody up there and willing to listen
I could not survive
without him
And I thank you
for letting me have him
in my life

Simple
Unconditional
Love