I often wonder what happens
when you hang out with your grandpa
who is eighty-four and quite deaf
and who you adore
with shrieking fervor
everyone in the neighbourhood knows him
his full head of white hair
his philosophy on fiat money
his determination to carry you on his shoulders
even though you’re almost forty pounds
we finally agreed
to put a car seat in his red car
so I think he takes you to the mall on Fridays
for ice cream
but I never know for sure
because you are both vague
when questioned
today you ran off with him
yelling
let’s go have too much fun
he looked at me
as he always does
his wordless way of asking me
to repeat what he didn’t hear
then you climb into the backseat
and I can see you both laughing
in that besotted way
where words don’t matter.