ALEX

My brother

goes into his bedroom

puts on his favourite

grunge rock DVD,

turns it up really loud,

jumps on his bed

singing louder than the music

and

starts air guitar!

He waves his right arm

up and down

like a crazy windmill

banging the strings

his fingers twitch and move

faster than the speed of light

as his face contorts

in weird air guitar poses.

Then he jumps off his bed

and lands on his knees,

sliding along the shiny timber floor

still playing

furious air guitar.

Mum just smiles

and keeps reading her book.

I’m trying to do homework

so I ask Mum

if he could turn it down,

and what does she say?

‘In a minute. Let him have his fun.’

My brother is twenty-six years old.