at that particular time

2016

Tell me again
Of the old neighborhood
The Italians and Croatians
The girl you almost didn’t pick up
Striding past St. Jerome’s
Of greasy thumb Guzik
And delivering hats to Capone
Show me every mob house
In the shadow of Comisky
 
Tell me again of 
The war
Of leaving everything you had in Split
With cousins who had nothing but 
Their ancestral lands

Sing me some Dean Martin 
As you ferry back from Florida 
A tidal wave of floral shirts and golf pants
Hanging in the back seat

Let it be Christmas
Hold court at the head of the table
Tell us how Diane thought she was blind
With the blackout curtains closed 
In that hotel room in Wisconsin
Or the time Pauly dreamt he was Rambo 
And woke up in a sweat
You left us in practiced stitches 
And full of ravioli 

Tell me again 
How to make your chili, your vinaigrette 
Molasses, the secret ingredient to everything
A magician without a spellbook 
You were always hunting spices
Measured casually on instinct

Take me to ride the lawnmower
Or see the reindeer of Homewood Flossmoor 
A napkin around your cup and
Ice chiming as we walk down the street
Tell me how I don’t love my sister well enough
And I’ll listen
I’ll ride a greyhound all night to show up for 
You, knower of ‘the right way’ to do things
Keeper of how it all was at that particular time