I was born to older parents
my father was 45
ma was 39
He was born in 1909 in Italy
sixth of seven
brought here at one and half years of age
Held by his mother at the port of entry in New York
and the story is his older brother hid under his mother's dress
as I am getting on in years now
I'm not sure that story is true
and there's no one to ask
His father didn't want to be a priest
they lived in Astoria
he delivered ice
I forget if it was with a horse and wagon
probably
They had coal in the basement
He was strict
very strict
No one could talk at the table
One of his sisters jumped out the window one night to go on a date
In his old age he thought there were bugs on him all the time
And that's about all I know about my paternal grandfather
My father married young
very young
and it didn't last
I don't remember how long
I'll say a year and a half
but he had a son with her
that he never saw again
after the divorce
and the son did not carry his name
He saw the Great Depression
He never forgot it
