The Right Side of the Sofa

You were a Wild Turkey
Sharp as a tack, good as gold and bad as sin 'til the end
My memories of you are a paltry honor to the vigorous life you lived

You through a haze of cigarette smoke pulling me somewhat unwilling 

onto your knee 

saying, "c'mere goil (girl)" in your cotton country accent

  Smiling while smoke blows from your nose 

Me, wondering if your one, light-colored, milky eye

 was proof of our kinship

(this was before I knew about that fish hook)

Hitching up your pants before you sit down on the right side of the sofa

Grandma chastising ornery you with a graceful hand draped over her hidden smile

Road trip to West Virginia to watch those dogs run that track

Jesse McGowan was your name, and no, you were not Irish

You are my working class hero who lived your 90 years with unbeatable charm and an abundance that defied economics. 

Grateful for your genes and your genius
Thank you Paw Paw