Godmather & Cousin Reunion

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How do you measure the smile
of an undated photograph?

Whatever measuring unit
answers that question...

It needs to be multiplied by 1001
to approximate how my Godmother
smiled three days ago


That is when my cousin Richard
joined his mother and father–
in a place I like to call Oliverio 2.0

I hope not to be there anytime soon.


To count my memories of Cousin Richard, Aunt Kay and Uncle Willy,
I would need to multiply 1001 by itself.

It was my Uncle Willy who introduced my father to the art of Mixology.
In 1944, Uncle Willy was the best man at my parents' wedding.

It was sixteen year-old Richard who introduced his eleven year-old cousin
to the best short story ever written by Ernest Hemingway.
 
It was either my Godmother or her brother, Sam Oliverio,
who described this magnificently flawed 1930-something
photo by the caption beneath it.

"Burt Lancaster with eye-black and a Hollywood starlet."

   












R.I.P.
Richard Kampe ____________________________________________________________________________________