lin reads the poems of amos

and hattie

of colin's grandfather

is thinking of death   

impending death for those characters   

as they are old

she asks   how much longer   

i shrug

i'll know when i get there   truth is   

i haven't the nerve to write their endings

how could i   

i brought them forth

i cannot   i will not

lin seems not to understand

~

what holds true for them

holds true for us   i remind her