Orphans Poem by Francie Lynch

Orphans


Lou,
You're an orphan now.
The deciding vote
In your favor,
The good kisses,
The latent reconciliation
Linger in this thick room.
You won't need to clean chimneys,
Work in a blacking factory,
Get your ears pinched, and your arse kicked.

You've laid out a fine plaster effigy
In this oak box;
Yet Enzo's nature is hidden:
His personal tears
And public laughter
Aren't in this demeanor
With rosary weaved into the basket of his hands.

We've polished our shoes,
So we stand and discuss
The crucifix wedged
To hold up the lid,
And how we follow our fathers' footsteps.
We knew it to end this way
With our fathers' generation.
'But you must know, your father lost a father,
That father lost, lost his...'

I too am orphaned, Lou,
And we'll continue on
As orphans do.