In the Dark
Sitting in the dark with Dad
In the room behind us
A faint glow from electric candles
Illuminating our semi-circle, across
From Mom, sharing stories with Dad
In the room behind us
Laughing, getting along for once
No rushing or pushing for now
Silence, except for us with Dad
In the room behind us
My sisters, going in and out to Dad
Wondering if I should go in, too
There’s no point
I don’t want that memory
I want this one
Sitting in the dark with Dad
In the room behind us
Abbie Bradfield Mulvihill grew up in the Chicago area, received a BA from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and has been living in the Washington, DC, area for over 36 years. Abbie recently retired from the U.S. federal government after seeing a fork in the road. Her poems have been featured in Innisfree Poetry Journal, The Best American Poetry’s “Pick of the Week,” Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Uppagus, Anacapa Review, and The Main Street Rag.