Pennies from Heaven

Robbed by emphysema
of outdoor passions,
my frail father hobbied through
two years of retirement,
a new collector
of old coins.

Thus, my gift: the wealth
of thirty-eight cents,
a small tribe
of Indian Head pennies,
tiny tokens of tribute,
remembrance for a final Christmas—
given before he took
the ultimate reward
and left me the fortune
of having been his son