i used to stay at your house:
cousin filled slumber parties
soft glow of christmas tree & glitter of gifts beneath
we rolled up with sleeping bags & make-up collections-
not exhausted despite full days of chasing stray cats,
chinese freeze tag, endless photo shoots,
& embarrassing musical performances.
you seemed entertained by all of it;
eyes lit up when your home was holiday-style full,
smile ear to ear at multiple embraces.
you made your trademark dessert- charlotte rousse-
& could've eaten it all by yourself
sweets were your vice; humor- the default;
& world war 2 stories- your expertise.
now your mind and body decline.
the hearty laugh- & coherent narrative flow of glory-day anecdotes-
echo back into a past that can't be retrieved.
you don't recognize ones you once doted on,
you wouldn't recognize yourself
i don't say this to deflate the ones that love you,
who, in a way, you've already left behind,
but somehow with a somber nostalgic recounting
of days before this (the desolate now)
to pay you tribute & say goodbye
-march 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment