My Brother

Miriam Gauntlett

My brother, who is alive,
stands large as life and just
as tall. Oh my God,
a friend said after seeing a
picture of us, Asa is a giant!
Compared to me, it’s true:
I am older but he towers
more than a foot above me.
It wasn’t always this way.
Let’s reel back the tapes,
the old photo albums,
through backseat car fights,
family hikes, shared baths,
until he’s a gap-toothed kid,
then a fat baby in my arms.
The longest relationship you’ll
ever have is with your siblings,
a friend’s mother once told me.
Well, I had another brother
and he died. This was before
Asa: my tall, living brother,
who is here, picking me up
off the ground, easy as that.
I hope he lives forever.