For decades now he's sat
atop my dresser
the little basket maker
showing off his wares
for all I know he's been around
two hundred years
seated with legs crossed
holding up to view
a fine example of his handiwork
his smile perhaps betrays his eagerness
to gain a customer
his features carved in ivory
with exquisite detail
other than memories it's all I have
from my grandfather's second wife Elizabeth
companion of his final years
and whom I loved
nearly as much as my own grandmother
it must have been
the time I'd spent in Kyoto
that prompted her
to gift me with this treasure
I should have asked her
how she came to own it
but I was young
and that was only one
of many questions
that I failed to ask