it was Memorial Day
with a soaking overcast
the house smelled of mold
with everything as it was
for almost
thirty
years
the stale cigarette ghosts
in every single fiber of carpet
fanned out in yellow patches
on the ceiling  

he sat in the same place
that she sat cancer eating him up
like it did her
watching him cringe  
and I felt more for him than I ever did
for that old woman 

but it still wasn’t enough