53
Three of four grandparents and one parent
didn’t see this day and
one parent lasted a mere three years longer.
Two of three uncles did not reach it
one remaining aunt holds the current survival record.
Matriarch of this bloodline, I reject the family’s short shelf life,
determined to go down in the family lore and legend
as the one who beat the odds.
The cardiologist says my arteries are pristine,
surely a sign of longevity.
But the broken parts of my heart he can’t see,
the parts that make it hard to turn 53.
©2008 Noreen Braman
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