Can you smell
the smoke in the hall?
He came in late
last night.

He was out with some girl
he’ll prob’ly never see again –
but I don’t think
that bothers him much.

Sheldon’s a mess
but he was smart, so smart
Now he won’t speak
coherently.

He’s got a brother, Alex,
who’s five and thinks
he’s just fine – a friend,
a hero, always right.

Sheldon thinks he’s alone
The choices he makes are
only his. Alex watches
everything.

Sheldon’s sister, called Bethany,
has a mind of her own.
She sees that what
he does is not right.

But to Alex, he’s the best
No one’s close to being Sheldon:
Alex says he’ll be like him
one day.

Can you smell the smoke
in the downstairs hall?
Sheldon got in really
late last night.

And Sheldon think’s he’s alone;
the choices he makes are his own:
but it’s different in a five-year-old’s eyes.
It’s different in Alex’s life.