the sight of Uncle Joe lying there
       frail - terminal
the memory of how he used to be
that old house on Besserer
we down from the country
      "Come here you little farmers!"
       he'd say - laughing - chasing
tickling till we'd squeal for mercy

a parking lot now sits where that house used to be

you and the family down from Kitchener
on one of those spontaneous visits
      nieces teasing - begging me to chase them
hard to believe you and I once fought incessantly
      odd couple brothers
      now unable to get enough of one another

seeing Uncle Joe - having you back again
a late night wish for us all to be young again
      freshly moved to Ottawa
      the smell of a brand new house
      in a brand new neighbourhood
memories - still waiting to happen

      we're fortunate
the house is still mom and dad's
though the kids are grown up and gone






© 1994
Photo: 1448 Rainbow Crescent, the family home from December 13, 1971 till 2010. © August 2000 by author

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03/18/2015

Author's Note: The house referred to (brand new house in a brand new neighbourhood), sadly had to be sold in 2010, after the death of my mother in 2009, and father diagnosed with Alzheimer's...moved into a rest home, 39 years later.

Posted on 03/18/2015
Copyright © 2025 Chris Sorrenti