my mother wrote an email today
to say my grandmother had passed away

my grandmother ghislaine and i
when i was a child of 12, we'd play a game
staring into each other's eyes
holding each other's chin
singing a song in french
that went something like this:


si ta plais

maybe it was

tu me tien
je te tien.

it's been a long time


we'd hold each other's chin
look into each other's eyes
sing in french
and then
do all we could not to blink
nor laugh
nor smile
nor move

it was hard!

she was always so serious
and then not at all
it was so much fun.
:)


of course i always lost
and she'd give me a little slap
and i'd laugh
and she too
and all was good
and all was well.


one more time? i'd ask
she'd smile
and we'd play again.