.
He liked two things
when he came to our house:
his Buzz Lightyear placemat
and the scent
of Jergens cherry-almond
by the sink.
.
We judge the addict
who will do anything
for his next fix.
.
The last time he came
he was 16
and we had pizza
and he wanted to use
the worn-out placemat
for old time’s sake.
.
We look down, look
away,
close our eyes.
.
He said he was reading
The Catcher in the Rye –
a favorite of mine, I told him
as he was leaving.
.
We pretend that we don’t see –
.
until it’s our own grandson
who dies of an overdose
and our hearts break apart.
.
When he is gone
I wash my hands
breathing his presence
in the scent
of Jergens cherry-almond
by the sink.
.
We don’t always recover
from the underlying condition
of being young
and oh so invincible.
.
.
© 2020 Betty Hayes Albright
.
(This is about my dear grandson Jacob who died last March at the age of 24.)
.
Seasonings 