Gratitude

This poem popped in my head the morning before Thanksgiving.  I was so excited that my brother and his wife were coming to visit, and so glad our friends would be with us.  And this weird little thing just appeared.  So, for posterity:


GRATITUDE

It was you who hand-pressed the gown

of Marilyn Monroe,

caught the sequin dangling from her hip, pleated

the chiffon back in place                       

            buried

your nose in its timeless smell.

[you are the timeless]

You are the first breath of

my first born, the squall

of life

breaking the ribcage open

to the world, filling my heart

with your heart.

[you, my heart]

You are dust in the eye of Hannibal           

The wake of ocean liners

The clack of the time clock punched

over and over again

The inverted lid at Ellis Island

The pull of the jackpot.

[you are the jackpot]

You are all things

something

no thing

You are gifts flown here on

the wind, gifts always been.

No.

Not gifts at all.

But evidence that life begets life,

and wills itself to be good.

[you

are

good]