Five siblings inherit a blanket. They lie beneath it, together, to stay warm.
          But arms and legs stick out and the siblings squabble and tug. They do
          not realize that they would all fit if they just moved closer together.

This is the Blanket Story. Poets, artists, and musicians have responded to this tale in creative ways. All poems appear here, our ONLINE POETRY SHOWCASE. Visit our main page to find out more about the project.

William Radabaugh

Sacrifice

Five brothers entrenched in a search for warmth
until jealousy took hold, creating a whirlwind.
The culmination of jealousy and self-preservation,
the result of an all too common greed.

As the tension grew, so did the weight of the decision.
A child-like inability to recognize the obvious solution in solidarity
left them with a choice that proved inescapable for their unconditioned minds.
For survival’s sake, two must go
so that the rest may dream in security.

And so, like a bundle of straws, two short ones were chosen.
Nominated to suffer or persevere for the sake of the many.
To walk alone into the darkness and locate the unknown on the other side.
And as those two brave explorers walked into the black abyss,
the remaining three closed their eyes
realizing that the next night it could be they who were forced to walk
alone, into uncertainty, with not even a blanket to comfort them.