21st Century Anthem

My Nona was heaving,
bent over a pillow belonging to the sofa I hated
attempting to sew the seam together
where the zipper had broken from use
and over-use


I smiled at her efforts empathetically but
        It's not a big deal 
she said in her native tongue
        Your mama will buy a new couch soon, you know?
        That's how it is 
(she smiled)


That's how it is
                     
Yet she stayed there,
hunched over the spilling, gluttonous foam
while her fragile thread snapped as quickly as she pushed it through


       There are blackberries in the fridge 
she said


So I went and poured a bowl too big for blackberries
full of blackberries (to the brim!)


And damnit if I didn't eat them all