Sisterhood

They were best of friends
And worst of enemies,
And they were thrust
Into each other’s space
At the age of three and six
With the advent
Of a baby brother.
They couldn’t be
In the same room together
For five minutes
Without fighting,
Yet they shared a room.
The oldest one put tape
Down the middle of the floor
And dared her younger sister
To cross the line.
Even after they were both grown,
And off on their own,
They couldn’t spend more
Than a few moments together
Before they would be
At each other’s throats again.
There was love between them,
But never expressed.
The tension was palpable
Every time they got together.
It wasn’t until many years later
That the oldest sister heard
Someone else’s younger sister
Tearfully lament
Her inability to express
Her love for older sister
That she got
What it must be like
For her younger sister.
One phone call
Was all it took
To dissolve the barrier
That had separated them
Virtually their entire lives.
Once the two of them
Could openly love each other,
They were truly
Best of friends
And almost inseparable
From then on out.