middle child

i am the glass of the mirror,
reflecting both the past and the future.
sometimes i am unsure of where
to follow, and even more unsure
of where to lead.
8 years behind, 8 years ahead,
another reflection of all the things
i could be and once was.
i’m stagnant- never catching up
yet never falling behind.
i’m a riddle of sorts-
i look up to a brother, yet
a brother looks up to me.
what kind of person can you be
if you’re always in the middle?
someone makes mistakes and
you can’t make them too, and
you can’t make mistakes
because someone else might
make them too.
it’s a lot to remember,
and i’ll admit that i sometimes forget.
but those wide eyes, as brown and
as thick with eyelashes as my own,
are forgiving.
they are endlessly forgiving
and they understand when i don’t
even understand myself.
so,
i may not follow and i may not lead,
but i will write a poem for you,
and sometimes that’s enough.