for uncle joe

my uncle joe went missing last november, and his body was found about a week ago. my family held a small memorial service for him tonight, and while i was unable to be there, i was able to read a little poem i wrote over the speaker-phone. this is for my uncle, of course, but also for my cousin joey, who lost his father.

I know some people like to pray, and some people like to go to church-
well, my prayer is writing things down
and my church is walking next to the ocean
so I did both of those things this week, for Uncle Joey.


maybe there is no place for the mad ones
the different ones
the one-of-a-kinds.

maybe family is the only place
and knowing that we are all knocked off the same block
of crazy granite/
with the same veins of purple quartz
but all in maddeningly different shapes.

the geology of us
is changed now
and will change again
and again
unceasingly
as the years bring
more rain and snow and hot summers

but it is all we can do
to love this tired,
flawed,
miraculous,
disappointing,
beautiful
life
as
the mad ones do

there is no perfection
no answer
and no secret-
there is only us
and our granite family.