before we arrived
May shower, rushed
food and guests inside
first cousin’s friends
crowd cozy living room
and stay dry
guest book is numbers
tall green eight, white aught
we sign on the white
two second cousins
I hadn’t seen for some time
view my family video
over extended on ice
son-in-law explains complex leg brace
knee, immobile down to ankle
couple seated near
are cousin’s church friends
for over fifty years
this stage of life
birthdays, longevity are celebrated
mortality acknowledged
Palmer R. Haynes
© May 2015