ELEGY Poem: Fisherman on a Mountain, by Mark Milazzo

for Uncle “Captain” Jim

An expression for patience
I try to understand:

Delicate tension in his arms,
his back and legs, his entire body,
became ill all at once.

Don’t feel too bad,
the symptoms are
almost always invisible.

Eyes mirrors on water’s surface
same color, same peace,
stay still as stone.

He would hold me up to the
Indiana Jones pinball machine,
a gunshot launch into
dust-colored adventure.

My aunt had to sell all those things.
She tells us she misses
‘coffee with a kiss’
mornings most.

He held a thumbs up
to the phone when he
couldn’t speak anymore.