In a rented car with my whole family
on the interminable ride from El Paso to Alamogordo
I mixed up the words organism and orgasm.
Though I never heard their conversations, I knew
my parents whispered to each other, "Your parents
are getting too old to live on their own."
Still, that year, like every other year
Grandpa took us up into the prickly mountains
to hunt stones in the arroyo and drive the tractor.
He still leaned in close to build a fire
for hot dogs and hamburgers
the flames licking his trembling arms.
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