Pressing Pause for Poetry: A Poem About My Brother

My brother and I at his high school graduation :)

Since my "little" brother (he's 20) has been visiting this weekend--which is why I'm doing my usual Saturday post on Sunday--I thought it only fitting to share a poem about him. My dad (and favorite poet!) wrote this poem about my little brother when he was 8 years old. I think it's an absolutely beautiful poem that perfectly captures what I imagine to be the feelings of awe, love, and pure amazement that parents feel when watching their children grow.

Knock Me Out

Knock me out
sometimes you do.

Knock me off of my routine feet.
And I love it.
Your brother and sister do it too--
but now, this moment, it’s you.

I’ll just see you sometimes--
maybe I’m boiling the pasta for dinner
or telling you to pick up your backpack
or put your dirty underwear in the basket--
but your vigor,
the pure verve
in your face
stings me, pinches me awake,
a gun to stun me alert,
some needed volts
to vault me over the bar
of “do this, do that”
that blocks my truly seeing you.

I hear your raspy voice,
I see your one dimple,
or your new big front teeth
gapped like my father’s
and I come home.

I come home--
and although I feel
buckets of grief
for missing any of my minutes
on earth with you,
I let those buckets fall--
too heavy—and instead
hold you, behold you, son,
alive, 8 years old,
going on 8 years old
and a day.


Read a few more of my wonderful dad's poems on his website, throwerstarr.com. Now off to say goodbye to my brother and his girlfriend...SUCH a fun weekend :)

Namaste!
Mary Catherine

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