A story by heart
My kids know the story by heart
careful climbing that chair
did I ever tell you the story about my brother?
yes, we know dad you’ve told us many times!
still toddling around the house, David’s a climber
up on a kitchen chair
over he topples just out of my reach
leg caught between chair and the floor
another trip to the ER for my parents
I account for two trips
shoveling snow with Dougy Rhodes, he lifts the shovel over his head
catching me right between the eyes
a bloody trail home in the snow, a scar here to prove it
then there’s the neighborhood football game with no helmets, not very smart
tackled into a fence post, all bloody I burst in the back door yelling, Mom!
my brother Jeff has one for sure I know of
I spot him climbing the very same fence that bloodied my head just as he slips
he’s hanging by metal points stuck in his chin
I’m down the stairs and out the door in flash
why I was looking out the window I never will know,
boy…that was a close one!
my sister Shirley has had more than her share
hit in the eye with a BB by neighborhood troublemaker Tom Varns for one
then more frightening trips to the ER with meningitis, that’s scary stuff
our poor parents!
but, even a cast on his leg didn’t stop David
dragging himself around the house so determined, never missing a beat
a sweet little guy with an oversized head
like the leprechaun on the Lucky Charms box
we nickname him “Charm”
he, of course, grew into that head but who would have thought the nickname would stick
not Charm, but who he became
charming and talented, so charismatic
everyone wants to be with him
I wonder if that helped kill him?
did I ever tell you the story about my brother?