We were too young to picture him,
We only remember an old man slouched over
in that hard creaking blue rocker
sitting in the corner
doing the crossword.

They talked to us about how
he hated sitting down
and how all he wanted to be
was outdoors.

They talked to us about how
he would cast his favorite rod
into the murky pond out back
and expect us all to eat whatever he reeled in.

They talked to us about how
his shaggy sand brown hair
and deep crystal blue eyes
looked just like ours.

They talked to us about how
when he got sick
it all changed.
He was doing the things he had always
hated. His quantity outlived his quality.