It’s your turn

 ‘it’s your turn’ Trgates,12/11/2024

picking and singing without him. 
four year old 
sat on daddy’s knee,
thinking he was playing dad’s 
pawn shop Gibson. 
thirteen year old 
played a D-18,
they worked extra,
not everyone has their own at 13. 
thirty-two, found a D-28,
Mother bought this find,
pawn shop Gibson 
now fits the hands of a cousin,
Dad has what they laboured for their boy. 
picking and singing without him,
not so easy,
bookended by both D’s
with long takes in between. 
yes, life happened,
much good, a little never should’ve,
interpretations grow,
then as his picking 
slowed down to none —
and all you know,
at four, thirteen, thirty-two,
and he just missed ninety-one. 
“it’s your turn,”
picking up his last guitar,
my youngest grandson said,
“Papa, need a hug?”
only problem,
I hear the voice from when I was four.