"notebook drawings" by Ira Joel Haber
My Father-in-law Returns from the Dead
He seemed so happy to see me.
Skin pallid, but eyes lively, and hair vigorous as crab grass.
He sat contentedly among my family,
tucked between two aunts who ignored him.
It was at my Polish grandmother’s house,
a continent away from his Japanese grave.
Our Lady of Czestochowa, black faced and solemn,
sent blessings from her frame on the dining room wall.
I asked what it’s like on the other side. He said
it’s one side.
Then he turned himself into a lap dog
for the amusement of the children.
Later, he limped into the street, looking for a ride back to the city of the dead. There were no taxis.
Still, he waited and waited.
I knew then how much I misunderstood him.
Margaret Stawowy
He seemed so happy to see me.
Skin pallid, but eyes lively, and hair vigorous as crab grass.
He sat contentedly among my family,
tucked between two aunts who ignored him.
It was at my Polish grandmother’s house,
a continent away from his Japanese grave.
Our Lady of Czestochowa, black faced and solemn,
sent blessings from her frame on the dining room wall.
I asked what it’s like on the other side. He said
it’s one side.
Then he turned himself into a lap dog
for the amusement of the children.
Later, he limped into the street, looking for a ride back to the city of the dead. There were no taxis.
Still, he waited and waited.
I knew then how much I misunderstood him.
Margaret Stawowy
Margaret Stawowy's work has appeared or is forthcoming in publications such as Cricket, Kyoto Journal, Atlanta Review, and Memoir. Originally from Chicago, she now resides in California and works as a children's librarian. Some favorite current activities include genealogical research, petting her cat, and catering to the many whims of her potted plants
Ira Joel Haber was born and lives in Brooklyn. He is a sculptor, painter, writer, book dealer, photographer and teacher. His work has been seen in numerous group shows both in the USA and Europe and he has had 9 one man shows including several retrospectives of his sculpture. His work is in the collections of The Whitney Museum Of American Art, New York University, The Guggenheim Museum, The Hirshhorn Museum & The Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
