Unspoken

On my Grandfather's Death

Six days before my Dad remarried
Granddad died.
Unexpected. Undiscussed.
A mystery case of pancreatitis.
He lingered for two days
on life support. Time for the family
to return from overseas.
Then they let him go.

I was not there
so it was Dad
who told me about my uncle’s reaction.
How he sat quiet through it all, until,
when the heart monitor died,
35 years of guarded sentiment escaped
too late. “I never told him
I loved him.”

Dad and I did not look at each other as he told me this