aunties are of great importance

a moment with auntie amelia
©8-8-16 hannah mclean

i looked over her shoulder
and my eyes landed on the open back door
of the white hearse
only the end of the wooden coffin with the brass handles
could be seen
displayed across the wood
in scripted letters of tan
i read
“auntie joanie”

and there it was
my auntie joanie was really gone

my heart staggered inside me
what was i to do in my moment
of finality?

grateful for the auntie shoulder
and the auntie arms
i held onto her and cried