Bread Sweaters

Grandma made us bread sweaters for Christmas

Grandpa built us a giant toaster

There were five of us

now there are three

We sat around the ocean table

and ate eyes on ham

We spoke in a weird tribal rhythm

while pounding our forks on the table

Uncle John dug out his antique wooden saxophone

and played the Jitterbug Waltz

Aunt Mona built a French horn

from toothpicks and the hair of Magritte the dog

Mom and Dad vanished just before midnight

Sister asked the sofa cushions if it was not magic

Baby walked in dragging her placenta blanket

and honed in on the ham

“This?” she asked. “Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!”

but none of us knew the answer to her question