For The Love Of Snowflake Poem by Charles Chaim Wax

My sister spoke for no more than two minutes
to her twenty-one year old son
from a previous marriage
now living in Florida.
“He’s gonna kill me, ” she said plopping on the couch.
“That boy’s gonna kill me.”
“What happened now? ” asked her daughter Annie.
“Crying like baby. Ma! Ma! help me!
wants to borrow $700
don’t he know I’m down to my last dime already.”
“I thought the bankruptcy cleared that up, ” I said.
My sister looked at me, amazed
at my utter failure to grasp her financial situation.
“Of course I told him it was out of the question
then he asked if you could lend him the money.”
“Me? Well...what for? ”
“After Navin’s girlfriend dumped him he was lonely
so his father suggested a pet for company
next day that lowlife sold his own son
a supposedly ‘pure bred’ Pomeranian for $200.
Now Navin says Snowflake needs braces.”
“Never heard of such a thing, ” I said.
“Nobody ever heard of such a thing! ”
“Is he serious? ”
“The teeth ain’t aligned right, that’s what he told me
so Snowflake can’t hardy chew, shrinking away,
getting to be skin and bones says Navin.”
“The dog’s damaged goods.
Tell Navin to demand his money back.”
“I told him, I told him, ” my sister sighed wearily.
A pause. Deep breathing. Staring hard at me.
“He said he couldn’t live
through another loss.”