German school of art and design shut down by the Nazis in 1933I watched from the edge of my lawn as Talia knelt on the riverbank, the left knee of her jeans pressed into the orange mud. The heel of her other foot slid against the greasy surface and her arms splayed wide to save her, like a ballerina entering a pirouette. An older woman waited behind her, clutching the hands of two small children. Skinny versions of their father observed Talia’s shaking hands through wide blue eyes as she laid the bouquet next to the lapping water. The current licked at the bank with a lazy tongue, snatching her offering before she’d even withdrawn her fingers.
The gathered mourners wore black. Roddy clutched his hat to his chest. I watched his shoulders move, knowing the words issued from his lips didn’t
