Alison Muir Decker

A poem I wrote about my sister

I have written prose about my sister before. More than once. Tonight, I share a poem and a song. These about my relationship with her. It has been a long day! Thanks for reading. Back to snark, policy, and science tomorrow. This first poem comes from my collection called “The Hellthread.” Yes, that is a whole collection of poems. This is one.

I have been reminded
About the compliance standards for purchases on the flight
And similar to my family
Contactless is the new black.

When I was a kid I would scream 
“Don’t touch me” 
At my sister
Who would laugh with glee when
What was left of my foreskin at 5 years old
Was mauled and trapped by
The demon zipper
Of my footie pajamas.

She died at 47 of failure to breathe
On the floor of a bathroom. 
The blue of her skin just about
Matching accent tile to the penny tile
Her husband laid by hand…I hear the echo of
“Brub’s Peep” —
She used to remind me about my juvenile penile injuries.  Often. 

Substance
Detected:

Heroin
+
Tramadol
+
T…