Dirty Feet

by Katie Greene
(Kentucky, US)

Dirty feet beside me,

Crossed carefully just like mine

He copies my every move while I study his

As I want to take in every adorable detail

Leaning so confidently into my shoulder, watching his favorite morning show

And I am content in this moment

Nothing delights me more than when he forcibly brings our cat to me

And demands me give his “puppy” medicine

Take me to jump! He pleads

I don’t particularly want to move

But I don’t want to disappoint him more

To the trampoline we go

The juvenile games we play take me back to games with my sisters

Popcorn. Farmer in the dale. Light as a feather. Add on.

Games we thought up and only which we understood

The trampoline was our own little world to bond and grow closer as sisters

And now we get to share it with this little newcomer

This little blessing

My brother chases me around the trampoline

As we bounce and make up new games, new memories

He loves it as much as we do

Maybe even because we do

My girls he says. I want to see my girls!

And we all come running

He is adored but he gives so much love and joy in return

Just being around him and sharing in his laughs and giggles

Has become my greatest blessing

It is my favorite sound

He has made my love grow

He has made me grow

Thank you God,

I think

Every day that I get to wake up in this world that now revolves around him

He jumps off the trampoline into my arms

And we race barefoot through the grass to the back door

I let him win. But I know I won’t have to for long

A day will come soon when I know I will have to try to win

Just like I am now trying to lose to see his thrill

We walk in with dirty feet and I don’t mind

I don’t want to take the little things for granted

And I truly love those dirty little feet

I always will, even when they aren’t so little