Henry and me

Have you ever loved someone like he was your hero?

But it feels like there's a sheet of glass between you, like you're looking out a window?

When you take every chance to be near him? To defend him in times when he isn't there?

And all you both can do is watch, and look at the other deal with anger and despair?

What happens when you can't see your own brother?

And you have to deal with having the same dad, a different mother,

A different life, a different town, a different state,

You're not in each other's shoes, you don't have things fill up on the same plate?

What happens when you wanna see him? But they won't let you cuz you're too young?

And when he moved away, you never saw him and the pain that it caused you, really stung?

Have you ever heard of siblings being best friends or mates?

Have you ever heard of a brother and sister's love so great

That it overpowers people? Makes them stand back and think

Could that be the key to happiness, the missing link?

This is what me and my brother are like,

But you gotta understand the pain and the anger we went through, unlike

My sisters, who have always been best friends.

No, for us, it's always been a battle that has to slowly end

Because we were always fighting to see each other, to just speak one little word

"Daddy, I need to see him. As soon as possible would be preferred."

But no, I just go back to sitting

Because his momma won't let my daddy see him.

So he has to go to court, and say to the judge,

"I need my little boy. His mother needs to stop holding a grudge

"Against me. This is getting ridiculous.

"I need to see my baby boy. Seriously, this is ceaseless.

"Your honor, I ask you to let him see me? If only for a while?

"Please Judge, just let him see me. I just wanna hear him laugh and look at his smile."

And he walked out of court that day, a grin stupidly plastered on his face.

And he kept the papers in his pocket, the whole ride home, just in case.

And that was the day, I got to see more of my brother.

But just wait, don't rush, hear the story, it gets better.

So then a few years pass, my brother's in school.

He only comes once in awhile, cuz he's too cool

To be leavin town, instead of seeing his friends and mom

It had felt like someone had dropped a huge bomb

On my dad. Daddy couldn't make him come, his mother didn't want him to.

And here I am, too young to understand and caught up in the blue.

A few more years go by and we both start to get older.

No more reading stories, more like hitting each other's shoulder.

We still see each other rarely, but it's gotten into a routine.

He comes for a weekend, maybe every 10 weeks.

And we act normally, everytime he comes.

Talking about the sports I play and how he's playing drums.

And in that weekend, I start to be happy.

But then he gets on the plane and he takes off and there goes my family.

A few more years come by and now we're at his graduation.

We all go, stay at a hotel and make our reservation.

I almost didn't go, only Dad and my grandparents.

But thankfully, my brother knew my parents.

And gave me a ticket, saying "Here sis, it's for you."

And I screamed with excitement and then I knew

That nothing was stopping me from going,

And I fought for it, the whole night and I kept showing

My parents that I needed to go, I didn't go all the way to Chicago just for this.

And finally I go, and by some fluke I meet his mom, who was eating chocolates that are Swiss.

She was nice and friendly and looked me up and down.

And later, when my brother came out, I ran into his arms and he spun me around.

And we smiled, our dad, his mom and us

And it kinda felt like I was out of it, I confess.

But it was all good. We were both laughing, our parents taking photos

And he handed me, out of his tux pocket, a rose.

And suddenly it all worked out until I'm the one that was on the plane

This time, I'm the one who flies far away

More years pass, and now we're back to the present.

I'm walking on the sidewalk, jumping in the puddles on the cement.

I have my brother's playlist playing in my ears,

Thinking back about the memories over the years,

My phone rings, his number comes on the screen,

I try and go to a place where I can't be seen.

I don't want people to hear us talking.

I don't want people to be able to see me stop jogging.

And this is our story. I'm in school here. He's in college there.

We're both trying to figure out when and where

The time will come when we finally can be normal.

When the time will come when we finally don't have to be mournful.