Now that I'm in my 70s the wild side
isn't what it was when we were young
all it takes to cross that line is walking
with my sister into Vineyard Haven
as I did today
and hearing stories
things I hadn't heard
or had forgotten
the antics of our grandparents
the things they did
that were clearly on the wild side
jealousies and passions
secret resentments
kept under wraps for decades
or hidden in plain sight
a steptmother whose will was thoughtfully
designed to disinherit her husband's children
that is to say my mother and my aunt
I like to think we grandchildren
have learned some things
that our lives are more transparent
more attuned
to those of our grown children
but we've still a ways to go
before the final curtain
calls us up for our last bow