My Uncle’s Watch

“I wish you’d take that old thing off,”

Our aunt would tell our uncle from the kitchen,

Referring to the tarnished watch on his wrist

With scratches on the glass so you couldn’t see the little diamond where the hands met.

Then she’d shout and then sigh and mutter too low to hear

And she’d fling the rubber spider at him

And stomp back to what she was doing.

He’d laugh his loud laugh

And ask us

“Have I told you boys about my watch?”

But we’d just shake our heads no.

His granddaddy had give it to his daddy who’d give it to him.

“It’s a family watch,” he’d say.

“Put your ear up next to it.”

“Can you hear it ticking?” he’d ask our aunt

Just to tease.

Then he’d whisper to us,

Like it was a secret,

“It’s ticking right with my old heart.”

And we’d all put our ear to his chest, then to his watch

Real quick

To see if they’d sync up.

And we all lusted over the ugly old thing

‘Cause he never had any kids to leave it to.

But we were all disappointed to find it on his arm

When we went to his funeral.

It was strange to hear it ticking now.

Like winning the race, it seemed smug.

And one of us talked about taking it,

And mumbled how selfish our uncle had been.

So I had to punch him later in the parking lot

After we were all through crying.

That’s how I try to remember him,

Uncle Joker,

Going to bed, hearing,

“I wish you’d take that old thing off.”

So he slips out of his body in the middle of the night

And leaves it waiting there under the sheets like a coiled up rubber snake,

And he dances naked

And laughs his loud laugh.