my aunt set down the china cup
to look at me:
"this town is hard
on certain people
I knew one lady so
in love with that
piano man,
the fellow in the coat,
that Liberace,
every Saturday she did her
hair all up
and put on the tiara,
the one from the parade,
and the flowered dress
she had made for
her niece's wedding
she'd pull out a
dining chair
one she'd needlepointed
(the stitches were so tiny they'd
nearly put her eyes out)
she'd sit there for an hour
by the television
and never move,
even for commercials"
she stood up, and went to get
the kettle:
"I played the violin until I
caught this finger
with a corn knife;
see the scar?
I took it to the bone"
Copyright 2004 Jody Serey. All Rights Reserved.