110315   110324

Guest minister grandfather Reed
bald and skinny his suit too big
grandpa drove to the small spare church on the far side of town
drove his economy car and parked in the gravel lot
limping with his cane inside
the prudent Presbyterian Church with a wooden lectern and not many pews
grandpa standing without a choir 
his arm waving the beat
Onward Christian Soldiers 
grandpa’s voice urging us forward
grandma some years sitting in the 2nd pew
her girdle and Sunday dress
Jim Larrick Lazarus some years as a deacon collecting the tithe
felt-bottom offering plates hushing dollar bills and dimes
Jim limping on his wooden leg pew to pew
Cheryl wearing Sunday-curled hair not seeming to mind
grandma began to stay in a bed at the retirement home
Jim divorced Alice and stopped going 
grandpa preaching guest minister sermons
communicants smoking cigarettes in white socks outside
the door the sermon the lesson inside
grandpa practicing faith.