The Brother My Heart Chose
Calix to Riodan
When we first met, I didn’t notice.
Of course, I was younger then. I didn’t realize
that someone one had hurt my friend.
Someone had cut him to the bone- to the very
wick of his being. He had not gotten better,
but at least I could make him smile. And he made
me smile too. I was pretty easy to make smile,
but I know he loved to see me happy. As I got
to know him, I realized there was pain in the slipcast
of his face. It was quiet it snuck it’s way into him,
as if it pounced on him when he looked away.
God, if I’d known there was a part of my life that
was related to what made him suffer. I would
have been better about it, I would have been sorry, like I am now.
Looking back, I wish he would have
told me. He was ashamed, I would have cupped
his face in my hands and told him, don’t be ashamed.
You did nothing wrong, to survive is never wrong–
I love you. You are the brother my heart chose, you
are the brother my heart chose.
This is a bit of an experiment ^_^. I’m trying to breathe some
life back into my long dry poetry well. I had an idea to write poems
from the perspective of my characters from one character to another. I
thought it would be a good way to show their bonds to one another. I
worry they might be a little over-wrought emotionally, I always worry
about that with my poetry.
It feels very right to have Calix
poem to/about Riodan be the first one. Their relationship is one of the
first and one of the most driving forces of the novel. The poem is about
the damage Riodan that is the catalyst for his character arc. The poem
has Calix having a hindsight and some point of view he might not have in
story proper. I hope you like it!
Oh and suggested musical accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tKBqJIfqPo&index=5&list=PL6ACE59988DC25193
This song is fantastic and really help inspire the piece, it’s not mine though the song is by Max Richter and features Sara Leonard
Hayley ^_^