My older sister was tall and thin,
could reach top shelves flat-footed,
fit clothes from the rack,
provided they covered her knees.
I lacked inches in height,
had excess in girth, wore “chubby”
then, in an allegedly “kinder gentler”
age, “plus sizes” and later odd-numbered
pieces. While I climbed up to size 28,
my sister in crisis years at 5’9″
weighed less than a hundred pounds.
Grass is greener elsewhere,
or so it seems, but we both found
answers for our needs.
Married to two alcoholics, one active,
the other dry, she found Al-Anon
to meet her needs and the same twelve steps
pulled me into Overeaters Anonymous.
Her struggle was no easier than mine,
nor mine than hers. But Recovery waits
for all fortunate enough to find the groups
that meet our needs.
could reach top shelves flat-footed,
fit clothes from the rack,
provided they covered her knees.
I lacked inches in height,
had excess in girth, wore “chubby”
then, in an allegedly “kinder gentler”
age, “plus sizes” and later odd-numbered
pieces. While I climbed up to size 28,
my sister in crisis years at 5’9″
weighed less than a hundred pounds.
Grass is greener elsewhere,
or so it seems, but we both found
answers for our needs.
Married to two alcoholics, one active,
the other dry, she found Al-Anon
to meet her needs and the same twelve steps
pulled me into Overeaters Anonymous.
Her struggle was no easier than mine,
nor mine than hers. But Recovery waits
for all fortunate enough to find the groups
that meet our needs.
