Conversations,
a day of grieving,
1/22/94 four
i was ten
when my grandfather died
we visited him the week before
and his last words to me
were,
you’re the most beautiful girl
in the world
i went to the funeral
his eyes closed
dressed in a suit
hands folded
he never wore a suit
and everyone
brothers, sisters,
cousins, uncles
talked about past weddings
other times together
i wanted to tell them
to pay him some respect
don’t laugh
don’t be happy
he’s in that coffin
up there
in the front of the room
he’s dead
they’re going to bury him tomorrow
but this is how things were
and i was only ten
Copyright Janet Kuypers.
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