Never before had I noticed how tall he was,
standing next to my brother
at the deli counter
as he ordered his coffee
and my roast beef on white - hold the mustard.
In the profile of his jaw
was a cool confidence I never knew
he had
because I hadn't ever looked.
But as he slid the money across the counter
and I ate the first meal
he ever bought for me,
I savored my time
with this man I was just now discovering,
deciding then that a roast beef sandwich
had never before tasted
so good.
3 comments:
I love this one. It is such a long story in such a short poem. The details are perfect. I love the hold the mustard part.
What inspired this poem?
Thanks Meg! It was the first time I had been alone with my brother since he had joined the military. I hadn't seen him in about 6 months and was in California with Beth and Mike and he came to see us for the day. Clayton had his wedding reception that night so Beth and Mike had to stay behind while I drove Mark to Union Station so he could take the train back to his base. He had grown up a lot, not just on the outside, but his whole attitude was different.
I'm loving the poetry! They do make me wonder about the stories behind them. So thanks for explaining this one. :)
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