She will leave one day
I know it, I've always known it
But I chose to ignore it
When she turned eighteen
When she turned nineteen
She'll be twenty one in four months
And I'm still ignoring it
I used to imagine a day
When her wheezing old SUV
Would be stuffed to the ceiling with trophies
And duffel bags
The only things she had in her room
When she was twelve
I imagined hugging her thin frame
Cherishing the warmth of her stomach
And soaking her shirt with my tears
Then with a sad smile
She would squeeze through the door
And trundle on down the road
Her old soccer trophies glinting off the dull sunlight
That filtered through layers of clouds
And pine needles
But that day is not today
And she is still my sister