Brothers, in Succession

one from behind
one from below
one seldom combed his hair
one folded his underwear
one was prone to orations
one clever at spatial relations
one had a knack for acrobatics
one a keen mind for mathematics
one angled three degrees to the right
one liked to try on my tights
one said I talked like their mother
on one, I performed the other
one made a habit of afternoon naps
one fancied the snug fit of straps
one conjured intricate tales
one once on deck watching whales
one in the barn
one on the train
one would do anything if shown
one night one made me drop the phone
one whispered technical terms
one down among mosses and ferns
One inquired Who hurt you more
One taped threats on the front door

“Brothers, in Succession” is from Mr. Worthington’s Beautiful Experiments on Splashes (University of Michigan Press, 2010).