Sisterhood

When I was little, I had a sister

When I was twelve and she was sixteen,

She lost her mother

She brought a girl home and held her hand

And bang

She lost her mother

And her mother lost a daughter

My mother said so

My father said the same

I looked at them both and realised

I lost my parents that day

I stood by my sister

And lost my parents that day

I lost my parents

so that my sister could keep her sister

so my sister could love and be loved

so my sister didn’t have to hide

so my sister could still hold on to the idea of family

While she tried to start her own

When she was twenty-two

And I was eighteen

I gave her away at her wedding

And when I did, I gained a sister in law

The man and woman we called parents

Wouldn't come

But we still celebrated

Our parents never understood

The strength of our sisterhood

A.M.

Flower 1

Flower 2

Flower 3

Image: Helen Blasak