Hey! I know I have real stories to update, but this piece came to me suddenly one day last week. I've been seriously thinking about the Parable of the Prodigal Son lately. It's become my go-to story for relevance to my life in regards to my relationship with one of my brothers because I feel so many of the older brother's frustrations. Thus, I was inspired to write this poem. Hope you enjoy! Please review!

You have heard of my brother, I am sure

Everyone has heard of him now

The prodigal son, they call him now

I am the other son

The older brother

The one who didn't need to come home, the one who never left

I don't mean to sound bitter

Despite everything, despite the lies and the hurt and the worry, I love my brother

I'll always love my little brother

But he doesn't make it easy to

For as long as I can remember, he always got into trouble

Always lied and cheated and hurt those around him

Always hurt my father

Always hurt me

But we forgave him every single time

Because that's what family does

And then he left home

To live life as he pleased

Indulgently and foolishly

And my father let him, as he always did

With his share of the inheritance

I was left with more work to do and a hole in my heart

Nights and days turned to weeks and months

With no word from my brother

My worry faded into anger

How dare he treat us like this

How dare he cause us so much worry

How dare he live his life without worry for us

I'd forgiven my brother many times

For many righteous hurts and grievance

Because I loved him and we are family

But not this time

I could not forgive him for the worry lines around my mother's face

The increased graying of my father's hair

My own secret nightmares over his fate

So life went on

And eventually it became easier to breath

My mother mentioned my brother less and less

Until it almost seemed like he was forgotten

But he wasn't, not really

Then a miracle occurred

I was working in the fields when I heard joyous celebration

I asked one of the servants what had happened

He replied, "Your brother has returned home"

I didn't know what to say or feel

The servant kept talking about the ring and the robes my father had given my brother

About the welcome home feast that was to occur

About the calf to be slathered

I felt something ugly and hot building up in my chest

It was frustration and anger and so many things I cannot even describe

But mostly sadness because no matter what I did

I would never be my father's favorite son

It was with that statement in my ears and in my heart that I went to my father

I wanted to say so many things, to ask so many things

Like why he kept forgiving my brother

Why I was never treated like him

But I didn't

Instead, I squabbled over a calf

It was not about the calf

It was about why my father loved his wayward son better

I expected excuses or denials

Or half-hearted apologies

Instead, I received a gentle rebuke

Reminding me that I had always been home

That what was his was mine

And then I felt shame

Because my brother was lost and had been found

And I had no clue what that was like

I looked for him in the crowd at the feast

He found me

I held in a gasp at the sight of him

He was thin, bedraggled

His handsome features faded, his hair and beard too long

Most frightening of all, his once joyous eyes destitute

So I did what any brother would do

I greeted him warmly and said, "Welcome home"

No judgment, no scorn

Just love and thankfulness that he was safe

My brother clung to me, muttering apologies for ever slight, every lie, every hurt

And I just said. "It's okay. You're forgiven."

The prodigal son returned home and the other son glad for it