Being The Brother

Being the brother
(who is shorter,
slower,
and not quite as handsome

the brother who doesn’t get the applause
or win the prizes
the brother who knows that in the eyes
of others

that’s all he is,
that brother of the taller faster guy,
that brother of the bloke
who all the girls want to be photographed with)

is not great. And, he says,
as you gaze out hopefully over his left shoulder,
how can he ever be truly sure
that anyone wants to be his friend,
or even his lover,

for any other reason
than
because he is
that brother?

Periphery