everything seemed fine

i was barely tall enough

to look

over the sill

of the window, where

in the yard

my great grandmother,

Lena,

who never spoke

a word of English,

was snapping

a chicken's neck.

two chickens.

she sat outside on her

stool and plucked

the feathers,

while aunts and uncles

danced and drank

red wine.

there was music.

there was laughter.

everything seemed

so strangely fine.