Inheritance

A black gray plastic square that rattled
a hand wrinkled clutched it
held to me as I sat swigging water
from a long blue bottle on her orange bed.

Here - it is for you. You can fix it
she said in a dry parched voice
like aged paper crumpled and flat
my own hand met hers like a collision.

Opened clam like the contents were gold
a timepiece broken its face scratched
its hour halted somewhere between
dawn and the morning with a link missing.

Coiled like a dead reptile belted with latches
thick but light a tiny chain flopped weakly
with no where to connect to and the flat
wheel edged along the front seemed weary.

My inheritance, given while living - the Omega
worn in 4 continents, soaked up her sweat
charmed her and others with an air of wealth
as it flashed glints in tandem with her breath.

I was surprised not unlike how a stranger smiles
an unexpected moment this uncommon gesture
an act of giving in obligation, but giving still
broken and timeless, it was anything if not symbolic.