He was a crossword puzzle in the local paper
and a raspberry danish with coffee on Sunday mornings &
an extra pinch of salt at dinner
or two.
He was a constant battle of Grampy vs. the squirrels
that raided the the birdfeeder
He was a top drawer candy stash and show tunes playing through the house
And 10 over when hitting those speed bumps
He was the only man I knew that would take his dentures out at DiMillos
& for those of you that don't know DiMillos, it's not the type of restaurant for such things
He was a broken belt on Thanksgiving,
but that wouldn't stop him until his pants were around his ankles
One thing always told me, "I'm gonna fall asleep before my head hits the pillow!" Which always left me in a state of curiosity
I can still hear his voice saying that one line from that one movie..
'You're the guy who overfed my goldfish'
and I'll never forget the way he replied whenever Nana scolded him
'Yes, lovey'
For all of the things my grandfather was, and always will be
He'll be remembered as a neighbor, a father, a husband,
And an amazing grandfather

we expose tiny pieces of ourselves
shards of bare skin, constricted by vulnerability
as if sharing a blanket in a snowstorm
and in order to help your other half stay warm,
one must expose tiny pieces
bear with the bad, to
share the good
warmth

too tired to write poetry for tonight
eyelids are falling the way I fell into your lap that night
you were on that "home-made ****" as I drowned in something exotic
I laugh when I think of it
because it seems ridiculous that two people
on opposite ends of the spectrum
can share something so moonstruck

when something wonderful is happening,
you notice the small details like time and the way his laugh skips a beat on his hurried breath
As time goes on, the newness of what was wonderful is gradually slipping away
instead you start to see things in a way you never did before
like the way he talks about his sister, with a twinkle in his eye
or when you hear his phone go off, but he doesn't check it because you're telling a story
"her voice is getting loud again.. and now with the corny jokes? she's something else
and you know he's only putting up with you because
it's worth it

and it's wonderful again

I have come to memorize the simple things like, your face or the way you look at me when I laugh
it's your voice I'm trying to find
I see your lips moving
and your sculpted teeth
and the way your eyes crinkle up into a smile
but your mouth omits those sounds of a stranger
a blend of noises I have heard before
but where's your voice? I can't hear it but
I can see it
                                                              ­             [you are lovely]

1 year, 1 month, and 17 days later, here I am. There you are.
I had seen pictures before, but none of them spoke to me in a way quite like this one
maybe it was your smile; the crooked one that hides your imperfect teeth because you're too ashamed to be unique
maybe it was your expression; one brow slightly raised above the other in a permanent look of bewilderment
almost like that "I-know-you're-mad-at-me-but-I-love-you" look you used to give me.
you always told me you hated the way the hair landed on the back of your neck, so you kept it short
and ****** hair made you itch, so you kept a clean face
but now your cares have gone to the wind, I see
with your shaggy hair and scruffy face...
But I bet she likes it