She pads across the kitchen floor,
No sleepy sway, her hair in place
A picture, the new morning story
Denim overalls and grandpa socks
in all their cozy glory
Sparkle on her eyelids - soft and slow,
off to church she goes,
in the gentle Sunday glow.

Giant travel mug in hand,
her keys too.
Shoes firmly on her feet.
She looks back at me—
a mischievous grin—
and off she goes again,
to get her sugar milk fix.

’Tis an affliction—dare I say,
an ADDICTION!
This daily milky craze.
Five dollars gone
in a matcha-hazed daze.
All she says is
"I just love the taste, I like it this way."

Yes I laugh, I jest, I tease.
But she will do as she please.
She asks "Do you want something too?"
I sigh, resigned,
“A large hot one—no coconut milk, just bovine.”
Two mugs clink soft,
and the day turns benign.

A gem of a sister, you are
Technically though, my aunt you are
But that matters not
Kind to a fault
Sweet as gulab jamun
At times, a strict person
Possessing nerves of steel
Thoroughly trustworthy and dependable
A model wife and mother
On the whole, an extremely lovable character!

A gem of a sister, you are
Anybody and everybody, you care for
Immensely valuable, your counsel
Above all, very cool
Irrespective of the situation
Always thinking "I can!"
A bedrock for the entire family
And finally, rarely unhappy!!

A gem of a sister, you are
So lively, your children are
Of course, mischievous at times
Nevertheless, they bring happiness
Even in times of despair
Hence, bright will be your future!!

A gem of a sister, you are
Dear to me, forever
Well, hope we catch up soon
Do keep that adorable smile on!!

My pocket of the world is filled
Of women who know the sound of wisdom on their own tongue
Like stick knows stone like
Honey dripping backwards from the the comb like
Planet knows patience like
Honest-to-Goddess-truth and nothing quieter than that

My heart lives in the home that is Girl and Mother
Wonder and Womb  
Made of all that is alive and
Built by sacred hands

And I want to swim to the Moon and call her my sister
Drink wine with Dawn and
Tell her the myth about Eve
Just to hear her tender laugh
Tell her she is what makes the tides turn
Tell her
I belong to Love!
And Love is a woman!
And there has never been anything more beautiful than that!

My little sister called me tonight.
Her voice cracked before she even said hello.
She saw the heart I typed,
and thought I was saying goodbye.

She shouldn’t have to live like this—
bracing herself
every time I answer too slowly,
learning to read my silences
like warning signs.

She’s just a kid.
My baby.
The one I used to tuck in
and promise monsters weren’t real.

But now I am the monster.
Not to her.
Never to her.
But to myself.

I am the nightmare she can’t wake up from.
The danger she can’t punch away.
The reason she checks her phone
like it’s a lifeline
and a bomb
at the same time.

And I hate it.
I hate that she’s learning
to live on edge
because of me.
Because I might break
and take her with me.

So maybe—
maybe the kindest thing I could do
is just end it.

Once.

Not again and again
in panicked calls and whispered fears
and “I love you”s that sound too final.
Not in sirens or hospital beds
or birthdays where I couldn’t come.

Just once.
One clean tear through the timeline.
One scream.
One silence.
And then nothing.

She’d cry,
yes.
But she’d stop being afraid.

She wouldn’t have to wonder anymore.
Wouldn’t have to scan my messages
for signs of collapse.
Wouldn’t have to carry
this slow, rotting dread
that her sister might be dying
in a place she can’t reach.

Maybe grief
would be easier than fear.

Maybe heartbreak
would feel like freedom
after years of holding her breath.

I think about that a lot.

How maybe
the kindest thing I could ever do for her
is disappear.

You're Here
You're here with me
Still there
Even when we are in silence
Even when we are bored
Even when we are sad
Even when we are mad at each other
Even when we fight
Even when we hate each other
You're still here
And I will
Trust me, I will
I will be with you
Forever
And ever
I love you
And I always will
I will love you unconditionally

I will be back.
She spoke.

Where have you been?
Where did you go?
I wonder.

Mommy, where is my sister?
Daddy, when is she coming back home?
I asked.

Do you know my sister?
She has a name.
I can’t remember it!

What does she look like?
The officers asked.

I’m sorry
I can’t remember
her pretty face.

But she’s kind and sweet— the
best sister on earth!

She said she went to work.
But she never comes back home.

Can I stay with you? I’m scared
you going to leave me
Like she did.

Hey! Sister!
You said you went to work!
Why did it take you so long?

Why is your pulse not beating anymore?
Why your skin looks pale?

Why are you laying there
In that scary chamber?