I remember last summer

You were sitting at the table

Like so many summers before

With skilled hand piercing

watermelon skin

And with a fluid motion

Began the ritualistic carving

I had seen you do this

Hundreds of times

But not through these eyes

These eyes savoring precious moments

These eyes watching an ordinary act

As if it were extraordinary

You cut it in circles

Then slicing them in half, forming tasty boats

And the knife followed the

Curve of the boat

To free melon from the rind

Then up, down, up, down,

making cubes

on the curved “u” stand

Lightly salted

And a knife stab of a savory chunk

Plopped it in your mouth

How I remember

I hadn’t eaten mine

For I was mesmerized

In the moment

Watching your face light with delight

At each piquant morsel

A sweet summer treat

I did and didn’t know

that would be the last time.

-This post serves as my “I Remember,” a collaboration with fellow writers, and as savoring a precious memory of my daddy.

Sometimes the beauty of knowing that someone is in their last days, you hold on to the how extraordinary ordinary moments are.”      Sounds like another collaboration of “extraordinary ordinary.”