my family rocks cause we love each other

"we have a good family"
my grandfather mumbled groggily to my
aunt as she said g'bye a few mos ago
on her way back out to Vancity

"I thought it was the last time I'd see him alive"
she said at Christmas
so did i

but he's beatin cancer
he's beatin chemo
no side effects
no codeine

unbelievable

he's eighty-six yrs old

i was gonna write something dumb like
'i hope i have half his balls when i'm half his age'
but i stop wonder do i have any at all
beside his still-immense shoulders broad chest huge heart
and under the dark shadow history threw across his years

i shouldn't be surprised he's winning again
he's jewish and he beat the nazis

i remember i once said firebombing hamburg sucked
he said not enough germans were killed in the war

and my german grandfather laughed ohohoho
he beat the nazis too
blew the bastards up after '22
but was smart enough to know when to get outta dodge

unbelievable

i pretend my life's a bit rough
i can't even fathom theirs

I love you Deda
I love you Granddad
My family is love