Trivia

my sibling Steve was precicely
fifty one weeks younger
harboured a propensity
so he did

was that painful i hear you say
not to him though it certainly
made my day more difficile to
navigate

he pinched the last sausage
off my plate saved to savour the
flavour while it swam in onion
gravy and mustard mash

he also pilfered all my British
stamps from my Royal Mail album
including a penny red
that did it
i wished him dead

how strange this stuff churns
turns round and round like
a washing machine on a
never ending cycle
until it exposes itself
when least expected

trivia undetected for years
brings on a Saturday smile and
a tear of a sweeter softer
sisterly kind

Reviews

[AYVID N]

The equations we share with our siblings are so strange, we hate them sometimes but then love them equally and with all our being.
He pinched your sausage and your stamps and after all the years of remembering, you realize how much you love him.
Siblings teach us so much about ourselves. We are blessed to have them.
A very touching poem that expresses beautifully, the truth of sibling relationships.

[Chris Shaw]

Alas, he died eight years ago which makes me reflect more on those earlier days. Squabbles yes, but always so close and only 51 weeks apart in age. My younger brother :) Thanks DIVYA for your very thoughtful visit.

Chris

[AYVID N]

I'm so sorry for your loss, dear Chris...
You are so welcome always. Take care.

[Ashi written tale & poe..]

nicely written.....................................................

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks Ashi for stopoing by. Pleased you left your thoughts.

Chris

[Patricia Wedel]

I was an only Child… and still look at the World through a Child. However, my son and daughter had their moments… now they are an Aunt and an Uncle to each others Children… a ❤️ lovely togethernesses. Amen… Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Pat, my mum also a Patricia was an only child. That's why she had five of her own. She said she was lonely. Many good wishes on there way to you.

Chris

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Chris.. amazing that your Mother was named Patricia and was an only Child. It is lovely now to have four grandchildren— two from my Daughter and two from my Son. I have not been as lonely. Winter winds are sending a Message in Morse Code… to Bundle up… it will be a Cold Winter. gently, Pat

[Betty Hermelee]

I can totally identify with your very honest poem. To this day I am not close with my sister or brother… they’re so different from me. … when I was young my older sister was mean to me … and I really deep down hated her…. She did thing that she knew would annoy me… it’s just the way life turned out for me; I think sibling rivalry is common and I’m often jealous of siblings that are close.
A poem from the heart!
Best, B

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you dear Betty. Once we grew up all was well but I have many friends who don't see eye to eye with their siblings after years Thanks for the share All good wishes.

Chris

[Betty Hermelee]

I get it Chris , so do .I; you’re very welcome dear Chris
Best, B

[John the Baptist]

Well, sibling rivalry can take on a serious nature, Cain and Abel being the prime example. But the last verse here shows that it eventually subsides into memories pleasantly recalled. Of course when wills of substantial value enter the picture, the knives can emerge again, but we won't touch on that here.

[Chris Shaw]

Our rivalry was just as kids, all five of us became very close as adults. I guess I was fortunate. Many thanks John.

Chris

[Chris]

Siblings have a "way" that later is often smoothed over in our memories. Family IS after all - family and a source most often turned to when strength and help is needed.

[Chris Shaw]

You are so right Chris. We grow up and the kids stuff slides into the background. I was very close to my brother. Sadly no longer with us. I miss him greatly. Many thanks for stopping by on a sunny Sunday morning on the UK. Best wishes.

Chris

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

To this day I can't get along with my younger brother. Everything I am morally he is the complete opposite. In his early 30s he used my name after getting caught committing a crime. He would also steal from me when given an opportunity. We just don't have anything in common at all except our hatred for one another. It's sad to say but if either one of us died the other wouldn't shed a single tear.

[Chris Shaw]

So sorry to hear that Carlos. It happens. I was lucky, my differences with my brother were restricted to our adolescent and earlier years. Thank you for stepping by and sharing your valued thoughts.

Chris

[Fabian G. Franklin]

An interesting write on the realities of sibling rivalry. In the 2nd verse 3rd line you have "difficile" and I'm reasonably certain that is not what you meant. I mean, it couldn't have been in his proclivity to cause you bacterial colitis. I thought you might want to revisit that. I enjoyed the read.

[Chris Shaw]

Ha Fabian, thanks for the smile. I do like on occasions to use a French word. Difficile is one of those times. It means difficult or hard to please :)) We had our spats and he may have given me measles once but nothing else. Thanks for stopping by and for the smile. We outgrew our spats I am pleased to say. Have a happy Sunday.

Chris

[Fabian G. Franklin]

It also means, and this is the term I am reluctantly familiar with it...Difficile
a toxin-producing bacterium which can infect the bowel, causing illness with diarrhea and fever, especially in people who have been treated with antibiotics. Multiple meanings sometimes render more confusion than clarity.

[Neville]

it's not trivia though, is it Chris .. we can all let go of trivia & trifles because they have no importance, value or worth .. such memories as these though, now showcased here, are essentially priceless .. Indeed, I have so many of my own personal recollections, both brother & sister related that I can barely at times control the urge to grab a pen ..these of yours brought tears to my eyes .. I think they would have done anyway, but the fact my younger brother is presently waiting to hear whether he has cancer of the lung had the same effect as a little boy removing his finger from the hole in a dam ........... Neville

[Chris Shaw]

You are right dear Neville they are treasures of little slices of life and when they return it can be a gift. Thank you for you thoughtful review. I know how anxious you must be for your younger brother, at a time which has brought other difficulties for you. Life isn't a bed of roses is it? We just have to wade through the murk which is what I am still trying to do. I am seeing the light and it is welcome. I hope you will soon be feeling better, though I fear your energy levels are likely to be depleted for a while. Better dates ahead, is what we look forward to. Have a restful Sunday.

Chris

[softlyfall]

I love this. My brother was quite a lot older but my sister is 27 months younger and we are bff's and we talk every single day. On the other hand, she used to blame me for, well everything, and i took the blame because she was little. He used to thump us on the top of the head when we passed in the hallway. On the other hand, he played pseudo ice hockey in socks with us when our wood floors were freshly polished. With siblings, you take the good and the bad. The good makes it worth it.
When happy memories surface like that, it feels like effervescence.
You write with so much emotion. It always draws me right in. I look forward to reading more.

[Chris Shaw]

I have a sister I talk to every day. She was widowed last year as a result of covid. I see her a couple of times a week for a cuppa. I have been lucky with my siblings and those younger years spats have gone. Funny how stuff like that surfaces again. I was furious he nicked the sausage off my plate. Pierced it with his fork and gobbled it up :)) Pleased you are enjoying my writes Amy. Good to reconnect after yahoo days :) Thank you so much.

Chris

[JD Major]

Thanks, Chris, I so identify with this--with what I call Random-Memory-Bullets that hit me, as you say, "when least expected." It's comforting when another shares a thing that we think we experience alone :) ...and so image-inspiringly written.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you JD. Pleased you can relate and you got something from the imagery too. Good to have you stop by. All good wishes.

Chris