the cruelty of brothers and sisters

i remember

sitting at the yellow

Formica

kitchen table and

shaking

the near empty box

of Cheerios,

hoping to get one more

bowl

out of

the plastic bag

inserted in the box.

just one more

measly bowl

to pour milk onto

and eat

before

the school bus arrives

at the corner.

but

only a dozen 

hard,

stale rings fall out.

who puts

a nearly empty box of Cheerios

back on top

of the refrigerator?

what kind of a person

does that?

siblings can be

so cruel

at times.