Aiden

wrote this for my baby brother...

To the kid who shares a last name

And has everyone who's known me

My whole life performing double takes

As if my childish image was copy & pasted

Onto an innocent revisiting my better days

I want you to know that I love you.

Yes, your older brother loves you

Even though right now I'm a ghost

That only finds your doorstep when I'm

Feeling good enough to sit in your presence

And break bread with a prince who has no

Knowledge of the throne his loved ones fight for

I love you like I wish i'd loved myself

Back when I was your size and obsessed with

Shifting my shape just to fit in

And I wish that i'd been a bit more attentive

Instead of brushing your innocence aside

With the pride of my age masking my

Familiarity with a child who only wants

Someone to listen or at least interact with them.

You have all of the promise I prayed God would

Trade me just for a piece of popularity

In essence the birthright of our father & your mother

Took root in your vibrant earth and one day

That seed will find strength in your undiluted

Passion for life, I just wish I could brace your heart

For the pain needed to bring out what your work

Will be watered with one day soon.

You still believe in superheroes, not knowing that

Beating within your growing torso lies the same

Qualifying organ that makes your idols just as

Powerful as what you have it in you to be.

I just want you to know that your life Is valuable

Because they'll try to persuade you to think

Your another statistic waiting for the wrong situation

Kid you're more than just a cautionary scenario

In progress. You are change. you are the future

My generation let slip, and our predecessors

Dreamed of after their forerunners set it in motion

Your muscles aren't big enough to

Wield the tools to build your kingdom so let me

Do it for you, until you learn how to take your thoughts

And will them into existence just as easily as you

Summon optimism with that crooked smile you own.

If I'm blessed with a son I want him to look at me

With at least a portion of the happiness you wield

When I'm around. Maybe to him I'll be a better male

Role model than what I've allowed myself to be for you

Because frankly I've been a jerk to someone who

Hasn't yet earned my wrath or deserves anything less

Than the pinnacle of an elder siblings active affection

But to be honest, I don't know the first thing about

Showing your youthful eyes unconditional love

Because I'm still searching for evidence that anyone

Bearing an X & Y chromosome ever cared enough to

Leave me unwritten instructions in actions

So that one day i'd be able to pass the positivity on

instead of being just another deadbeat b*****d

With more wordplay put into building you up

Than actual involvement in the process.

Aiden, I wish I didn't have to write these words that

You'll probably never see, and if you do, 

You'll probably never fully grasp the reason why I

Sat in front of a screen and created sentences to

Explain my consistent absence in your life

When I only wanted to be the reason why

One of Paul's sons went on to live a life with little

Complaints or encounters with obstacles he already

Knew how to face because he had a damn good example.

So in the event that this poem is all you ever hear of me

In the long run and I get so caught up in my own life

That I neglect one of many individuals God gave me to

Look out for and help keep out of harms way

Just know that I'm not as perfect as your heroes

Know that despite my efforts I'm only a mortal man

Who's blessed to have a little brother that I barely know

Just because i'm ashamed of the example i'd display

Know that your potential is worth more than 

The clothes & precious stones they'll try to sell you

Know that your potential is worth more than

The miguided intoxicated masses that will prey on

Your innocence with promises of opening your eyes

To a better world once you taste their forbidden fruit

Know that the more you learn the more it hurts

But every lesson learned is worth the struggle.

And most of all know that I love you

Even if I'm never around to show it.

Verses are all I can offer you until I'm a better man.

Because I don't want my baby brother to be another me.

Reviews

[LJW]

"Kid, you're more than just a cautionary scenario"

I'm sure Aiden is. But dude, SO ARE YOU.

Look, there are brothers who've been in their little brother's lives for all their lives who may never have been able to speak to their brother these type of heartfelt words. A lot of times, one well placed conversation or something written like THIS, printed and mailed out to little brother can instantly create a connection where one never existed.

Man up, son. Send it to him. In doing so, he'll have something to look up to.

Again, spoken word material. Have you tried it?