he’s gone but I think
his fundamental poison still
lives on flowing in the veins
of generations who now live
to purify the harsh taint
of his beliefs – bow your
head over your meals in
afterlife and say your prayers
for personal forgiveness to enter
the heart of every sparrow
accomplishments abound – career and family,
master gardener, extraordinary quilter, leader
of UU activities, well respected –
first thing she told me
when we met is “we’re
not married” – okay! – but better,
you and the sculptor live
together, a charming life well
lit by sunsets over water
in your well kept home
ageless beauty in her eighties
from Holland, straight as light –
she moves naturally toward the
boundaries, those places that call out
for the simple grace of greeting –
she visits me in my hospital room, stays
quiet, contented, humming, faithful to
the flowers, fingers freshening tulips,
leaning forward to smell roses
majesty of rooms, handbags, tiny
pillboxes, cunning containers of
every size and shape – and are
they messy? no, they’re empty
or pristine, enclosing further infinite
arrangements made with wallets,
closets, cupboards, a higher order of
calendar and mind, chaos confined
to curly hair (her daughter’s
and her poodle’s (well clipped))
open mind,
loving heart,
helping hands
now snow white hair
profoundly deaf and frail
a life spent sipping from the
flaming chalice the hot fuel
of agitation for civil rights
fighting oppression
writing letters to the editor
gnarled roots still hold her close
when will white wings set her free
my cousin in Alaska wearing
winter in her hair and
mukluk boots, she visits east
sometimes to peep at leaves
and reweave frayed threads of
family’s crazyquilt – I’d like to
visit, hover with her over
time and glaciers, asking that
our cousinship be spared from
mutiny, pirates, and bad weather
“it’s a big world – someone
has to explain it” – her
explanations more like invitations,
a greeting card you always wanted
to open from her office
like home where you could
take your shoes off – merry
met at work and words
well meant – now writes songs
that explain it more sincerely