Her Silverware
Real silverware, not stainless steel, circles the table circles the table guarding the cynosures the cynosures of turkey & gravy, but no vase of cut roses no vase of cut roses because she dislikes ephemeral gifts dislikes ephemeral gifts such as designer shirts designer shirts disappear from fashion wear & tear fashion wear & tear doesn't affect grey work pants gray work pants can be worn over & over worn over & over. Since birth she sought long-lasting & thrifty she sought long-lasting & thrifty except for the silverware the silverware that shines on white napkins white napkins folded like her bed sheets her bed sheets cover the bed without a wrinkle the bed without a wrinkle - military quality military quality made by a nurse who in her first job a first job of helping wounded men in a hospital in the hospital where she received her first paycheck a paycheck used to buy the silverware & life insurance the life insurance disappeared when she married married a man who thought it a bad investment a bad investment corrected by cashing it in cashing it in to buy lakeside property lakeside property sold to pay college bills college bills for eleven sons and daughters sons and daughters who ate with the silverware for fifty years silverware for fifty years yet untarnished untarnished because she polishes and cleans it polishes and cleans it because it is hers It is hers.
