Photo courtesy of Rebecca Dierking

“Hello, are you still chasing the memories in shadows…”

The sun shone brightly,

Reflected off the plastic pool,

Whose blue waters had been tainted,

With the tattered remains of firecrackers.

My step-brother

The gentle giant

So tall and strong,

Only months older than I

He pushed me on the big-wheel

Over the fresh grass,

It was the first day we can play,

Outside, free of rain.

On those rainy days,

The wind would whistle in at us,

Trapped in the house,

Watching the rain on the window.

The house had one floor,

That was all that’s required,

Five rooms,

For five people

Every wall a brilliant array

Of bright orange, green, and pink.

Labels, my father called them,

He’d bring them home from work

We weren’t supposed to stick them to the walls,

But we did it anyway

As if only to show

Our rebellious youth.

Melissa Ethridge blared throughout the house,

Spilling into our room,

Adding a soundtrack,

Trapping the moment in the song.

Andy Gibson is an eleventh-grade student a Central High School in St. Joseph, Mo.