The Seat of the Fading

There you are in the family picture

In the seat occupied

By your mother

Before you

And your father

Before her.

You try to smile

To match the balancing grins

Of whitened teeth

But yours is fading

Like that light bulb flickering

On that branch of the Christmas tree.

You try to look at the camera

But your fading eyes

See beyond it

An unfamiliar picture:

What is it that you only see

From that seat?

They put their best heads

Showing joy

For the camera

Like the flowers in the garden

Wanting the water, the sun,

And the gardener’s attention.

That gardener who delays,

Who sees beauty in the flower

That doesn’t turn towards the sun,

That doesn’t suck the water

Any more,

Fading

One cell at a time,

Until he decides

On a good morning,

After all is said and done,

To cut, and let go.