in those days four grandparents
one grandmother’s sister
an aunt uncle and cousin
mom dad two brothers one sister
gathered for Thanksgiving
upstate New York guaranteed
some measure of chill in making
the journey from our car to
my aunt and uncle’s front door
and then the warmth hit
hugs cooking food and faces
a gathering of the clan to share
mounds of sustenance and carving
another notch in the belt of our history
today I text both my brothers
and wish their families
a cheerful time at the table
while I sit in a sun-filled
chair in my backyard
the type of warmth
I’ve enjoyed since everyone
went their separate ways
but not the kind
I’ve been thinking about
the older I get
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