Opal
her name was
Opal
she should have been
Aunt
Opal
but she was
just
Opal

she was bossed around
and tossed around
by our Aunt Marie

we were afraid of her
Opal, that is

though Marie was no
sweet cup of tea

afraid just because she
looked different

though later
long after she’d gone
remembering her smiling round face
and thin slanted eyes
I guess we realized

but back then, we were kids
we didn’t understand
we didn’t see her much

and they didn’t tell us a thing

not who she was
not why she was there
not even that she was kin to our dad
a sister, in fact

she didn’t seem really loved
didn’t seem cared for that much
yet she was so quiet
and
calm

I’d love to go back
I’d love the chance
to smile and look up to her eyes
then
I’d take her hand
lead her gently around
and
call her my sweet
Aunt Opal!