Dear George,
I recently ran across this poem that I wrote about ten years ago. I thought I’d post it here so it doesn’t vanish into limbo.
Love,
Dave
MY SISTER
My sister is a slam bam girlie
Growing up with three brothers older
Teased non-stop but never gets surly
Mean brothers just make a girl bolder
My sister likes dressing like the boys
Blue denim jeans and a T
A capgun and holster are her toys
Driven by her urge to be free
My sister likes riding her bike
Each day she heads up toward the dairy
She takes our Irish setter named Mike
These two move so fast, it’s quite scary
My sister swims across our wide river
She does it alone with no boat
The danger just makes me shiver
But she says, “Don’t fret — I can float”
My sister and brother have daily fights
They battle till neither can stand
The rules, no gouging, no jugular bites
I’m glad I don’t see this firsthand
My sister loves riding her horse
She races him twenty miles an hour
The horse charges forth with great force
A symbol of growing girl power
My sister was given a chick
She loved it but squeezed it too hard
We thought that the chick was just sick
But soon it was buried in the yard
My sister has a shiny gold tooth
Her brother knocked it out with his cue.
Self-conscious, you know that’s the truth
Even so, Gold-Tooth never gets blue
My sister has too many chores.
Like washing the dishes and setting the table
Once she was scrubbing the floors
Her brothers all claim they aren’t able
My sister likes keeping our parents in line
She tells them if they get too silly.
Our mother has a fondness for wine
Too much and her daughter gets shrilly
My sister does so well in school
Reading and writing and spelling
Her teachers all think she's a jewel
It seems to come easy, excelling
My sister has a talent for art
For drawing and painting and the rest.
But too insecure in her heart
She says, “This is not my best”
My sister keeps our family together
So full of good humor and fun
She’s sunny in the rainiest weather
Best of all, she aspires to be a nun
