Once Upon a Birthday

August saw the celebration of my little brother’s 21st birthday. In homage to him, and to our family unit as a whole, I wrote this poem…

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Once upon a time,
There lived a girl without a care.
Then one day when she turned around,
A Little Brother was right there.

Of brothers she’d already two
She needn’t anymore.
Such a little boy had changed their three,
Into a giant four.

But oh the smiles that he would bring,
Into this four-strong clan.
And the things he’d get away with,
As just the youngest can.

She learnt quite early on, this girl,
In him she had an ally.
Like when she broke the flower vase,
She’d point at him and cry.

For all the times he took the blame,
He never held a grudge.
Not even when she’d wallop him,
For just the slightest nudge.

He knew he was invaluable,
A Playmate for the crew.
When WWF took hold,
It was he that they all threw.

Through teenage years, they hissed and fought,
From him she couldn’t hide.
Just like a little Shadow,
He was always by her side.

Despite her endless protests,
She liked having him around.
That contagious little laugh of his,
Cheered her up when she was down.

Not so tubby now was Chunks,
He was quite the Fashionista;
He took longer getting ready,
Than his mother and his sister.

Now they could go out drinking,
Up the ranks he seemed to zoom.
To the high-esteemed Dance Partner,
They sure knew how to clear a room!

On nights out he was Bodyguard,
He’d keep trouble away.
And, dancing till the lights came up,
Beside her he would stay.

Getting jobs and moving up,
He was Reference number one.
Gift of the gab, he’d sing her praise,
As if, from her, the sunshine shone.

Colleagues, they turned into,
Serving drinks to all who came.
And though he was the one in charge,
Firm allies, they’d remain.

They’d work all day and dance all night,
Her Wingman, he’d become.
He’d sort the wheat out from the chaff,
Sifting for ‘the one’.

He put her needs before his own,
Her diligent Protector.
He’d allow only the best of men,
Who’d make her laugh and who’d respect her.

Climbing ever higher still –
‘Events Planner’ of the year,
He surprised her with a party,
That brought to her eye, a tear.

And now the day has come,
to throw a party of his own,
That little baby brother,
Into a man has grown. 

The little girl who turned around,
She blinked, the years whizzed past.
The problem with Little Brothers:
The ‘Little’ doesn’t last.

But the Brother bit, that sticks around,
On that she can depend.
For all the things he ever was,
He was always her Best Friend.

Thanks for being all these things,
In the 20 years before.
We’re celebrating You tonight,
Here’s to many smiles more.

So Happy Birthday Jake,
my best friend since day one.
Here’s to all you’ve been,
and all you are,
and all you will become!

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By Jade