Family

Dad at the head of the table, like my father,
Mom at the other end with baby at her side,
and six more lined up by age, we were assigned seats,
the dog sat next to me.
He looks so young, so did my father with his jet black hair
and fine features, and sure of himself, like my father,
who held himself above all others. 
we were five and a dog named Rusty, Ariane,
Jean and the tension heavy between them.
we sat silently back then,
Jean long dead,
Ariane 93,
all grown old now,
where are those children?