was ten years old when my grandparents on my father's side
celebrated the 50th anniversary of their marriage

Our family piled into our tan '85 Aerostar
(the same one that famously died on the way to my
younger sister's dance recital when the entire drive shaft
dropped out from underneath and shot
like a torpedo down the open highway)
and made the three-hour climb to Cadillac

There was a reception held at the local V.F.W. hall
where my grandfather was a member

I remember meeting a lot of strangers
whose names or faces were either immediately lost
or never registered at all,

and how they would all tell us how excited they were
to meet us

Do you know how two trees can grow together and [bad word] like one?

When my grandmother died, my grandfather died too

It took two whole years to convince his body to let him go