Ronda Broatch
When the last of the grandmothers flies away,
we clear the nest of broken shells
and shoes that do not fit.
There are, of course, the things we begin
to save: odd bits of cotton, locks
of hair, years of calendars marked with precious dates.
Spent nylons, egg cartons, empty pill bottles
for keeping receipts in and the gold from lost teeth.
And definitely the black velvet Elvis.
Tomorrow we’ll scatter the old woman’s ashes
in the fi sh tank, toss the chipped china
and dance in dresses roomy enough for two.
The dog will doze in the vacant bed,
moan about arthritic bones, and places
he can no longer reach to scratch.
When the last grandmother flies
off to the Kingdom of Everlasting Bingo
and all-you-can-eat shrimp salad buffets, we move
one bead up the knotted cord, hand over hand,
dizzy at this new elevation,
the buds that encase our wings breaking open,
feathers just beginning to emerge.
Page(s) 7
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