the four
and a half of us
drive over to Ben’s house
to help Taylor and Ben pack
and grieve

Gabby cleans
while Taylor and I sort through boxes
and Dad and Ben climb ladders and assemble boxes
Anna listens to her Ipod most of the time

the week before
I asked Dad for a special favor
and he agreed to buy Magpie from Ben
his special horse that he would not be able to keep

I know when Dad makes the offer
because Ben comes to find me
and wraps me in a hug
and whispers a choked, “Thank you.”

connected now
by more and more
each day

instead of a home-cooked turkey
we share take-out
from a Chinese restaurant
egg rolls instead of cranberry sauce

we sit down to eat
Paula’s absence palpable
in the naked kitchen
stripped of pictures and decorations
a home turned into a house
in one
short
day