Niall Williams — He Might Be Laughing Now

When Grandfather Abraham was gone

Grandmother had a brief moment of Victory,

as if by outliving him she could lay down her cards

and declare that she’d finally won the Game of Marriage.

It wasn’t until the long evenings of the following winter,

hounds gnawing on the stringy twines of the Indian rug

and developing the first stages

of what my father said was curry-scented incontinence,

sash windows rattling like denture laughter,

and the fire blowing down these great black puffs,

that she realised he might be the one laughing now.

Niall Williams

History of the Rain