Poem - An Ode To My Pesky Little Sister Who Grew up To Be My Friend

On the day you were born

I was thoroughly disgusted,

All wrinkled and red-faced

You were not to be trusted.

"Your new baby sister"

Is what I was told.

"Take her back!"

"I don't want her!"

I screamed,

I cried,

When that failed to work

I crawled under my bed to hide.

Home from the hospital

People said, "Oh, she's so cute!"

You got lots of attenetion

You won every dispute

Your crib in my room

Where I used to play

"It's my room!"

"It's not her room!"

I exclaimed,

"It's not fair!"

"You're the big sister,"

Said Mom, "So now you have to share."

Though I tried many times

Mom and Dad seemed to not hear

To my repeated demands,

They turned a deaf ear

"You're a big sister now,

Someday you'll love her,

Wait and see,

She'll be your friend

They'd nod.

They'd agree.

I couldn't make them listen,

Somehow I had to make them see.

I didn't want a sister

What I wanted was a dog

But instead I got you

I would have settled for a frog!

I traded you for a doll,

Once for a pony.

"Take it back!"

"Right this minute!"

Mom yelled,

I pouted,

"And go get your sister,

Right this instant!" Dad shouted.

As time continued on

You grew into such a pest

You got into my things

You always made such a mess

Nothing was off limits

Not my clothes or shoes

"Give it back!"

"Don't touch that!"

I'd holler,

I'd demand,

"Stay out of my room!"

Was my continual command

You ate all the crayons

You painted over my homework

You got me detention

As an additional perk

You made me quite crazy

No one seemed to care

She's inhuman!

She is evil!

I'd complain

I'd lament

"It'll pass" they said,

While you continued to torment

As time kept marching on

Things between us grew better

You still had your moments

(You dried my angora sweater)

I noticed a difference

Something wasn't right

"Who are you?"

I asked myself

Bewildered

Confused,

At my state of confusion

They were particularly amused.

I don't know when it was

Or how it happened to be

But one day I realized

You weren't bothering me

You weren't as annoying

As you'd been before

You asked first

Before borrowing

Said "thank-you"

And "please"

You'd become somewhat respectful

Of my room and my things.

It was no longer a chore

To take you out with my friends

You had both a shoulder

And a sweater to lend.

We talked and you listened

You learned to sit still

"Yes, you're right,

She's My sister"

I explained,

I sighed,

"Yes, the same little sister,

From whom we all used to hide."

"From cradle to grave"

That Is what our parents said,

"You'll each have the other

After we both are dead.

You won't be all alone

Your sister will be there

To listen

And to count on

From start

To end

Because a sister is meant

To be the very best kind of friend.

Who knew way back then

That Mom and Dad had guessed right,

When they said there'd come a day

That we would no longer fight

That we'd become sisters

Like sisters should be,

Sharing clothes,

Sharing secrets

Laughter

And tears

Each other's best friend

Throughout a lifetime of years?

And speaking of secrets,

If it is alright with you

I'd like to keep this one

Between just we two.

There's no need to tell them

What they already know

Upsetting

The whole balance

I whisper

I confess,

I hate to admit,

I would have loved that frog a lot less.

^{-Kristen Burns-Darling ©May 2011 (all rights reserved)}