(Images property of author.)
YOUR BIG BRO JOSH: DECLASSIFIED #1
POEM — Dedicated to my siblings, Angel, Andy, Alaina.
Being the big brother is scary.
Fear and anxiety live rumpled up
and tucked into fresh, slim-jean pockets,
right
along
with
the ever-present possibility
of disappointing
the most important people in my life.
In some way, and somehow,
in my paranoid mind
any and every choice I make
could decide
whether
I’ll see a role model, or a loser
looking
back at me,
in the reflection of your eyes, tomorrow.
Though not requested, as the oldest,
I made it my burden in 1993
to be responsible
and watch over you
WEIRDOS
like you were my own kids.
I owned the role of the weird ‘bro-parent’,
and did my best
to make you proud
as the brother I thought you needed.
You have always been my best friends.
You’re the only old roommates I never stop missing.
You are my blood, my inspiration,
my strength, my weakness,
my life vest
in life’s deep end,
my three-day weekend
in a calendar chock full of Mondays.
I’m sure you’ll think it fiction, but
your happiness
will always come before mine.
There is no agony equal
to seeing my little siblings in pain,
nor
any fear of mine
more terrifying
than the thought of losing them.
I love you three so much it hurts,
and not a fancy-enough word exists
in the dictionary
to describe how immensely
proud your big brother is of you.
Toast to the Four Locos!
We gold-hearted hard heads,
who on occasion
butt domes,
but never abandon each other.
Angel, Andy, and Alaina—
No matter the court, or sport,
toast
to the best teammates
this space hippie could ever hope for
in the epic
game of life.
Lover Boy in Space
Joshua Muñoz
ig: loverboyinspace.poetry
Prompt: Things I can’t tell my siblings
This prompt was given to me by my brother, Angel, three or four years ago, and out of intimidation I let it get buried in my notes, until these past couple weeks. My time has been totally consumed with this prompt this month. It started as one poem, but it was getting long, so I decided to break it up into multiple parts. Here is the first.
Welcome to my world, and thank you for reading. ✌🏽👨🏽🚀
