the reunion

they hold your class reunion
at the sunset lodge recreation
room. they use the ping
pong tables for the dishes
of food. chicken with the bones
removed. jello, three colors,
with fruit. mashed potatoes,
and kale. it's a healthy
meal. someone pins a photo
of you which looks like
your grandson onto the lapel
of your jacket.
the walkers clang against
one another as hugs are made
and greetings such as you
haven't changed a bit since
home room, are spoken.
there is a medical
staff standing by with
defribulators and gurneys.
your class song was in a goda
da vida, which is playing
loudly over the PA system.
several people yell out to turn
that music down for crying
out loud, i can't hear myself
think. the cheerleader, mandy,
you had a crush on has fallen
on the floor and somenone
is pounding on her chest
trying to get a piece of chicken
out that has lodged inside
her throat. the class
president gets up to make a
speech. he is wearing a powder
blue suit with white shoes.
he thanks everyone for coming
and tells the story about
how mindy liefer once drove
a driver's ed car into
the library. he tells that
story every ten years, so no
one laughs. mindy has stopped
coming to these things because
of that. she might be dead,
because no one can find her
on facebook. things wind down at
nine o'clock. they have to
get the room ready for bingo.
you grab a few brownies
off the table before they
fold it up. you wink at mary
sue ellen maggliano, the class
snitch and mother. she is wagging her
finger at you. you haven't
change a bit, have you little
mister she says. you either,
you say. you either.