Art

I got a new grandfather when grandma Alice married Art at the age of 61.
Art never had any kids, always a bit overwhelmed when the whole clan came to visit.
He and grandma played thermostat wars,
Alice would come from the hot kitchen and turn
the thermostat down, a minute later, Art would roar
the furnace back up, cranking the dial to 80
and letting everybody know
the kids are freezing, Alice.

We knew that although he loved us,
he was a bit relieved when we left,
like the time we saw him
through the picture window, unwinding
the vacuum cleaner cord
before we could even get out of the driveway.