Anger, a muscle memory,

triggered by his voice now

teasing, now taunting, now

icy creeping in my ears and

down my spine. 

Like tomcats we clawed, 

screeched at each other, like 

our blood commanded us to 

spit, to hiss, forever.

And one day when I scratched,

he didn't hiss back but 

slunk away, and one day

batting at his ears only

made him purr and somehow,

staring into this creature's

glowing cat eyes brought... calm, had

ceased to make my hair stand on end.

I knew him, yet I knew him not:

my brother, not my enemy,

now my friend.