grief makes me get a simple
sterling silver ring that reminds me of my mother’s
I wore as a child
the times I have stared at the 925
on the inside of the ring
and then it broke, a simple crack
the fragility of a man made thing visible
and I was devastated on a sunny day in summer
and the grownups present didn’t care
they didn’t see the ring as remains of my mother
they didn’t know why I was holding on so tightly
was it my stifling grip that broke it? I wonder
what a clumsy attempt to replace memories

the only memory I made
was the day my mother’s ring broke

My daughter,
If neither our future nor my tight grip for the past
breaks this new ring, know
that I picked it from a handful of rings
from a local artist who recycled the silver
we met her at her house
where you fed blackberries to the chicken
I picked one that best fit
the tallest finger on my left hand
for this is where I prefer to wear a ring
I got the ring a few days after
summer solstice in 2021, shortly
before we embarked on another family adventure
that would take us off road and off the grid.

Let us infuse this ring with a new story