distant relatives

relatives
are hard to get along with.
not all,
but some.
the brother. distant and aloof,
paranoid
under his blanket of money.
one day it's here,
the next day
he's on your couch seeking
a place to stay.
the sister
with her tea parties,
and small cakes
on Russian
plates, the tea served
in delicate
cups
with horses
and chateaus, a trellis
of grapes. smiling
while her sharp
knife draws blood into
those
who couldn't make it,
or may be arriving late.