i hold the arm
of pop-pop's
casket, lift
it out of the hearse,
set it gently down, &
cry. nonna squirts holy water
on the lid, then zia margie does,
then my father; three squirts
from the side. he's the last
to say goodbye. nonna hands

sarah & i the keys
to her home, tells us to take
whatever food we need, looks us both
in the eyes & repeats
herself. when we open
the door to the fridge, pop-pop's last cup
of red jello sits abandoned
on the first shelf.

12/26/2006

Posted on 12/27/2006
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