after the song “Au Revoir” by OneRepublic
My father’s eyes gray haze,
cheeks concave,
sore-covered lips,
withered limbs,
hospital visitor rules
dismissed,
eight of us huddle
close in
around him,
for what we don’t know
are his last words—
Anyone bring a ball and a bat,
he rasps,
we’ve got enough here for a team.
