The Family Dwindles

Now there are only three of us

Some of my aunts and uncles-Photo courtesy of Teresa McGrath

Once upon a time
there were eight of us
crammed into small squares
of tiny space,
piled on top of one another
like unruly sacks of wheat.

The hovel seemed
large enough at the time,
with bunkbeds
three to a bed,
and maybe,
if you were lucky,
a single bed,

Until one by one
we all graduated,
peeling away from the family
like tired leaves.

Collectively gathering
on required holidays
with each of us
bringing our own
arsenal of achievements,
some of us arriving
empty-handed,
much to the dismay of our parents.

Gathering now
as another one of us
disintegrates and disappears,
each of us left behind
lamenting the loss,
as we stare into caskets
and pat the urns
looking for something nice to say,