Readings

Original poems

Before We Knew Ourselves

You knew me
before either of us
knew who we would become.

Old rooms, old jokes,
arguments we forgot,
roads we took differently—
all of it still belongs
to the word brother.

The Story Only We Knew

There are stories
I can still tell,
but one voice is missing
from the correction.

I keep the laughter anyway.
I keep your version too.

Sibling Weather

We were not always easy.
We were history:
storms, clear mornings,
long ordinary seasons.

Now every kind of weather
has your absence in it.

Collection lens

What this poem collection is trying to hold

This collection centers shared childhood, sibling shorthand, rivalry, loyalty and the strange loss of someone who knew the family from inside. That focus is deliberate: relationship-specific verse should do more than replace “mother” with “father” or “dog” with “cat.” The imagery, emotional distance and details should change with the relationship itself.

Best suited to

a sibling eulogy, family memorial or anniversary reading.

Watch for

Letting childhood stories erase the brother’s adult life.

Personalization test

Before using a poem publicly, identify one image or line that matches the person you are remembering. If none of the imagery fits, choose another poem rather than forcing the relationship label to do all the work.

Use it well

Prepare this collection for its actual setting

  • Read it aloud before choosing it; spoken rhythm matters at a service.
  • For private use, adapt a line with a name, place, habit, or detail that belongs to the person.
  • If a venue, celebrant, publication, or livestream needs text in advance, send the final version early.
  • Do not attach a famous author’s name to an anonymous or rewritten poem.