Instead of that
afterlife idea
Espoused by some, if
not many,
Or the equally
bought and sold
Articles of faith in
a murky nothingness,
Or as a last resort
That definite return
to the planet
As a new character
in a novel plot,
I prefer to imagine
a grand room
About the girth of
Nebraska
Filled with the dead,
the living
And the
not-yet-born. This motley trinity
Shuffling together
in stocking feet,
Sometimes raucously,
at others' silently
Across a shimmering immense
dance floor.
Aunt Jessie is telling
risqué jokes, her
Wire-rim glasses we
broke long ago
Somehow repaired;
she’s beaming
Tears of beauty as
she grabs
Grampa Jozo by his
silken
Tie, Grandma Ana his
Croatian wife
Chuckles as the two
in-laws
Finally groove
together.
Their son, my dad,
has never
Shone in such
dazzling light.
His fingers fly across
Grand piano keys,
this music
Soaks us clean. Mom
Listens, sitting
contentedly
With Liz her older
sister.
Feeling lighter now,
we twist
To Chubby Checker,
fox trot to Sinatra,
And waltz to Mr.
Mozart. Uncle Frank
With his wooden leg
and Camel
Cigarettes rivals
the grace
Of elegant Fred
Astaire.
Gladness rains
Cool elixirs amongst
all
in their gathered
kinship.
Past hurts, regrets and
betrayals, injuries
And illness of all
sorts one day surely to transpire
Are released
completely here
Where everyone
perspires scent of peppermint.
Fragrance of freesia
and alyssum swirl,
Entwined tendrils of
night-blooming jasmine
Kissing pregnant air; my lips can feel babies
Kicking in the
joyous twirl.
Even wallflowers
blossom in this sparkling air.
When I’m
quiet I hear our breathing wafting softly
As we spin and
sashay round and round without tiring
To lift each other
up in tender spirals
Streaming high and
higher—
Aunt Jessie soaring,
cuddles toddler Lucy
To her maiden bosom;
Jozo nestles
Ana in his ample
lap; how she
And her family
ravaged
By an early cancer
now
Thankfully forgiven
And forgotten.
Beloved past,
bright-eyed future
All embraced by
those here present,
Without clocks
ticking.
Uncle Frank still smoking and
everyone is gleaming….