 |
| Alfonso De Rosa 1846 - 1934 |
I remember him
In that big black chair
The long walk across the parlor
Mom holding my hand.
Mom holding my hand.
'Too dark, papanonno'
Admonishing lightheartedly
She’d raise the shades
Letting in the sun and the park scene
The big park, we’d go there later.
Pleasantly engaging him
She’d move me closer
"Here’s Sonny, papanonno"
Reaching out
Wrinkled face smiling
'Allo toe-nee'
Toothless broken English
‘Ah’, a candy for his great-grandson
The child touching his thin white hair
Completing the exchange.
Conversation without words.
I remember those visits
Seeing him in that big black chair.
The last time
He was all dressed up.
Everyone was there
Lots of chairs. No big black chair.
But I remember him
Even now, smiling in that big black chair.
I wonder if he knows I think of him.
Admonishing lightheartedly
She’d raise the shades
Letting in the sun and the park scene
The big park, we’d go there later.
Pleasantly engaging him
She’d move me closer
"Here’s Sonny, papanonno"
Reaching out
Wrinkled face smiling
'Allo toe-nee'
Toothless broken English
‘Ah’, a candy for his great-grandson
The child touching his thin white hair
Completing the exchange.
Conversation without words.
I remember those visits
Seeing him in that big black chair.
The last time
He was all dressed up.
Everyone was there
Lots of chairs. No big black chair.
But I remember him
Even now, smiling in that big black chair.
I wonder if he knows I think of him.
- Ephraim Richard Fortunato
1 16 December 2015
In answer to family inquiries, Alfonso DeRosa was my maternal grandfather, Alfredo DeRosa's father and therefore my great grandfather.
ReplyDelete