Thanksgiving Eve

.

In the realm.............................................................................
of white brick churches................................................................
and the season..........................................................................
of reaching..............................................................................
back......................................................................................
........................................................................Pahn is standing

........................................................................in front

.........................................................................of his grandmother

.

.........................................................................seeing the paleness

........................................................................of her

.........................................................................glowing

..........................................................................like Rockwell skin

..........................................................................the pink of age

..........................................................................in her face

..........................................................................the dry softness

..........................................................................of her shaking hands

.

..........................................................................thinking

..........................................................................how much better

.........................................................................she looks

..........................................................................than her years now

.

.........................................................................how dignified

..........................................................................instead of pained

..........................................................................settled

..........................................................................instead of fragile
And she was fragile.................................................engaged..........
.....picking her up ................................................instead of closed..........
when she fell........................................................loveable..........
........lifting her.....................................................instead of frightening..........
into her chair...........................................................................
.....by the armpits..................................................He doesn't know..........
.........so as not to hurt..........................................if he is going to kiss her ..........
.......her back......................................................or hold her shoulders..........
..............................................................He doesn't know
...Her belief.........................................................what he does..........
held Pahn...............................................................................
.....at a distance...................................................But after a while..........
.like a force-field..................................................he leaves...........
........preventing him..............................................and goes about town..........
and his ideas.........................................................noticing..........
.......from getting too close.....................................that there is nothing..........
................................................................truly old there

.............................................................He comes to a house
....too frightening................................................where he meets..........
....to approach....................................................with her friends..........
in its shadow........................................................to sew............
......................................................................and Pahn sees..........

.

............................................................how small it is

.

............................................................and how nicely

...........................................................designed

.

...........................................................and how comfortable

............................................................it could be

.

............................................................and how empty