I Love You, My Sister

She cries beside me now
But I am not sure how
To comfort her in a time of fear
So I whisper "I'm here..."

"Go away, you're not helpful!" She blazed
"I'm sick of your kind and gentle ways.
Sick of your talk of love and justice.
As you see me now, you must be disgusted"

She continued to sob in her sweater, now stained
And I, my heart, grew heavy with pain
It was not the thing she did, I dread
But more of the thing, to my face, she said

I closed my eyes, and tried to regain
Enough to speak out her name
But I did not dare, so I stroked her hair
She croaked "Why do you care?"

"Because I love you
And if I were you, you'd love me to"
"That's a lie, what's done is done
Your love is limited, just like everyone's."

We sat for a very long time
Then I remembered the song's rhymes
"Remember the song that Dad would sing? bout the sparrow, the roads, and the tall oak tree?"
"Yes, we'll you sing it for me?"

I hummed at first, sang for her
I sang for the first time, for my beloved sister

"Some roads are wide
Some roads are narrow
You can sit and hide
Or fly like a sparrow

And when you return
When you come for me
My roots are stubborn
Like a tall oak tree"

I waited for her to join me
But instead, she looked at me
She took my hand and wrapped it in hers
"I love you, my sister..."