Loss
Christmas before
he died
bought him a bunch of ties
neckties of varied stripe
enough for two weeks’ worth
didn’t have much money then
but was young enough not to care
so he’s sitting there in his red pajamas
with such surprise
held each one to his puffed up chest
and grinned like a little boy
who’d gotten the bike
there was the bottom of December
all of January, all of February
at the top of March
he was dead
his ties hanging
in the closet
where he left ‘em
TL