He has to hurry to catch a plane.

PASSPORT PHOTO  BY ROY BENTLEY

34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 66

That was the summer I learned what loss is—

a father coming into the kitchen and squatting

to explain to a nine-year-old son he needs to leave. 

And saying he has to hurry to catch a plane. 

I reconstruct now the keepsake photograph:

black and white, signed. His passport photo. 

A square of flat-top…