reading of the will

how quickly
they circle
high above, black
stripes
that feed
on what is
left behind.
aunt Martha in
her flowered dress.
brother bill
smoking
on the veranda.
a lost son
twitching nervously
in a rented suit.
a neighbor
who once, when you
were ill,
brought you a bowl
of hot soup.
shadows circling
lower and lower,
the beaks
and claws
open for the feast.
and what is left
behind?
everything.