Eleven years ago
A Saturday afternoon
Warm
Movie on the couch
The phone rings
Mom is crying
We drive quickly
The hospital seems small
Aunt and Grandma are there already
Grandpa is hurt
He's not in the room
We're alone
Waiting
A doctor comes
He's emotionless, stoic
He talks with us
Grandpa is gone
Dead
Hope crumbles, ceases
We weep, wail, embrace
I'm angry, enraged, betrayed
I leave
But
Solitude yields no better solace
I return
Still angry
Dad comes in
He's crying
Dad never cries
I cry, too
The sheriff comes
He talks about paperwork
He talks too much
We go see Grandpa
He's just lying there
A pillow beneath his head
A blanket pulled to his chest
Still
Silent
Sleeping?
He's gone
But still here
The next day
Sunday morning
In church
We sing
We sing about standing
Standing in heaven
In heaven praising God
Grandpa had trouble standing
His legs were weak
But that morning
He had no problem standing
No problem
At all.