Struggle
Mary Winters
Silent battle explodes in
vacation house, great-grandparents'
retirement home: which of
four generations will rule; the
living or the dead prevail.
Night of their memorial service
issue was joined: ghostly
pounding in the attic the
call to arms. The weapon:
re-decorating. Each visiting
descendant returns the cottage to
1960 or '70 or '80 or '90.
Puts up or takes down needlepoint
village scene bought by great
grandmother in Nova Scotia, also
stained drawing of windmill in
Wellfleet. Gets out or else
banishes television set, stereo.
Ships in or carts back
trunkfuls of beach stones and
shells -- it can take hours.
Great-grandchild paints
clamshells with sea gulls and
whales -- next her aunt
removes all signs of children and
sobs at sibling's re-wallpapering of
kitchen with stylish chintz
print which hides great-grandparents'
caper jar pattern --
