Genine Lentine

Brothers, in Succession

one from behind
one from below

one seldom combed his hair
one folded his underwear

one was prone to orations
one clever at spatial relations

one had a knack for acrobatics
one a keen mind for mathematics

one angled three degrees to the right
one liked to try on my tights

one said I talked like their mother
on one, I performed the other

one made a habit of afternoon naps
one fancied the snug fit of straps

one conjured intricate tales
one once on deck watching whales

one in the barn
one on the train

one would do anything if shown
one night one made me drop the phone

one whispered technical terms
one down among mosses and ferns

One inquired Who hurt you more
One taped threats on the front door

Genine Lentine

"Brothers, in Succession" is from Mr. Worthington's Beautiful Experiments on Splashes (University of Michigan Press, 2010).

First posted on January 15, 2012 9:10 AM