Poetry - Self Portrait With Princess Han-Ban
You are forever the baby
that steels everyone’s hearts,
But I will always be older – and therefore I always win.
I am the first one to ride a bike,
I get to stay up later and I always get put in charge.
Though ever spoiled quite equally,
You had more American Girl dolls than I,
But that’s okay, I had more Barbies.
You don’t care, you preferred Bratz anyway.
You will forever be the mischievous one,
With plans sure to send us to time out.
Let’s fake fight, pretend to faint, sneak out into the woods,
Pretend our dolls are spies, and turn the trees into a battlefield.
I will always be the wise one,
Quick to shoot down your crazy plans.
Yet as predictable as the game of clue,
I will surely give in and follow through. Follow you.
Then you will run to the adults who must be pulling out their hair
As you cry with perfected pouted lips and big brown puppy eyes,
Blaming everything we both did on not you, but only I.
Though I protest, I will be sentenced
To a night in Santa Fe
While you play with my brand new doll
My mother made me share,
And wear my mystery squad sunglasses,
Stealthy mirrors on the sides.
When the hammock breaks you will safely land
Atop your father’s chest,
While I will fall onto my head
Forced to go home early as you eat s’mores
And sit happily around the burning flames of the fire I helped make.
The gash in my knee and sting in my foot
Are further proof that the camping curse has continued,
And so I cry.
You are forever the princess, but I consider myself queen.
I helped you up, held your hand, and always took the pain.
The screaming, name calling, and threats forever live between us,
They echo in the distance, smashed between
The hugs and laughter and secret worlds only the two of us can share.
Threats to Orange Juice to never hurt you, hearts at 4 a.m.,
Let’s hope the guys don’t drown tonight, jumping in the lake.
Though hard as they try, beach balls are never rounder than a penny,
And Mr. Sexy Bumble Bee Man, may he forever rest in peace.
May our parents never know why there were watermelon walls,
And never forget the pillow pets, marathons all night,
That our bikes were never really stolen,
And Wade can always take us in a fight.
I promise to never again sing Zip A Dee Doo Dah,
Or tumble down a cliff,
So long as you remember
The most important fact of all,
Until you are five hundred and seventy four,
I will always win by 1% or more.
But I will always be older – and therefore I always win.
I am the first one to ride a bike,
I get to stay up later and I always get put in charge.
Though ever spoiled quite equally,
You had more American Girl dolls than I,
But that’s okay, I had more Barbies.
You don’t care, you preferred Bratz anyway.
You will forever be the mischievous one,
With plans sure to send us to time out.
Let’s fake fight, pretend to faint, sneak out into the woods,
Pretend our dolls are spies, and turn the trees into a battlefield.
I will always be the wise one,
Quick to shoot down your crazy plans.
Yet as predictable as the game of clue,
I will surely give in and follow through. Follow you.
Then you will run to the adults who must be pulling out their hair
As you cry with perfected pouted lips and big brown puppy eyes,
Blaming everything we both did on not you, but only I.
Though I protest, I will be sentenced
To a night in Santa Fe
While you play with my brand new doll
My mother made me share,
And wear my mystery squad sunglasses,
Stealthy mirrors on the sides.
When the hammock breaks you will safely land
Atop your father’s chest,
While I will fall onto my head
Forced to go home early as you eat s’mores
And sit happily around the burning flames of the fire I helped make.
The gash in my knee and sting in my foot
Are further proof that the camping curse has continued,
And so I cry.
You are forever the princess, but I consider myself queen.
I helped you up, held your hand, and always took the pain.
The screaming, name calling, and threats forever live between us,
They echo in the distance, smashed between
The hugs and laughter and secret worlds only the two of us can share.
Threats to Orange Juice to never hurt you, hearts at 4 a.m.,
Let’s hope the guys don’t drown tonight, jumping in the lake.
Though hard as they try, beach balls are never rounder than a penny,
And Mr. Sexy Bumble Bee Man, may he forever rest in peace.
May our parents never know why there were watermelon walls,
And never forget the pillow pets, marathons all night,
That our bikes were never really stolen,
And Wade can always take us in a fight.
I promise to never again sing Zip A Dee Doo Dah,
Or tumble down a cliff,
So long as you remember
The most important fact of all,
Until you are five hundred and seventy four,
I will always win by 1% or more.
