by Ann Chiappetta
Burnished figures on pedestals
Inscribed electroplate
Into households they gather, insidious
Conniving onto shelf and mantle place
They represent childhood paragons
Foster a competitive edge;
Rally spirits when called upon
As we leap and clear the proverbial hedge
They possess our emotions, sentiments
woven into beliefs
A bit of blanket, a toddler’s treasure
Photos that trigger grief
Even in death we cannot escape
Carved markers above bones underneath
Grassy knolls peppered with maudlin
Guardians, trophies the dead bequeath
Yet the living tend the reminders
While the dead are set free
What a breath holds dear
Spirits don’t need.