The wicked smart, clever niece
born on my 29th birthday married

a mechanically brilliant man, and
they gave us Henry and Rosie.

And the sister who is their grandma,
and the brother-in-law who is their grandpa

spend weekdays with these two little ones,
inviting Aunt Jan to visit just for this:

to watch Grandpa Eric toss soon-to-be-3
Henry on the sofa again and again

to the boy’s delighted giggles, and see
Grandma Donna with Rosie, who has

just turned 1 and recently taken to walking,
as she stands and shimmies, then squat

like a long-time yogi, then effortlessly rise
again and again with a big smile.

When I boop Rosie on the nose, her grin
contains a universe’s worth of delight.

And I think, as I often do, of my grandpa,
who liked to say about my sister and me,

“Every generation improves the breed.”
When we look (even with our biased eyes)

at these two, three generations after him,
we know that he was so, so right.

•••

For my peeps with love from Great Aunt Jan:
Donna, Eric, Lauren, Gerald, and, of course,
Henry and Rosie