From the newborn babe I had the privilege to hold

To the couple who are each a century old

And the cemetery soon to come

The clock ticks ‘til our life is done
From the uncle I only recently met

To his aged parents that owe him in gratitude a debt

And the schoolwork that pressures me to waste every precious minute

The state of Rhode Island, where my mother’s history fades in time
From the clams I helped my uncle collect

To the butter and the skillet,

I’ve never tasted anything so reminiscent of family

And revealed to me the scars that never fade so slowly

This family I only just discovered, and almost too late
From the dozens of height markings on the wall

To the old man who took a fall

And the cruel seconds that tick away at the thread

The Sword of Damocles hangs over us all
I’ll always cherish my Rhode Island visit,

I’ve never had others I can call family before

I hope I will see them again

But it’s only a matter of time

Either here or in Heaven

 

 

9/11/2014

 

 

*image credit goes to https://www.flickr.com/photos/bfishadow/  and no changes were made