Unmarked Graves
How many geniuses lie hastily
buried in unmarked graves?
Mozart. Blake. Bach. Kafka.
Seems careless to lose track.
But then, they weren’t famous
when the first shovel of earth
landed on them. It reminds me
that my father stopped winding
the grandfather clock in the hall
when he turned 80. After years
of keeping the quarter hour
meticulously, he simply
stopped winding one Friday
when the hour turned four.
No need of time any longer.
And no great concern
where we lay his bones
when he goes under.