Reading Obituaries
Each morning, a dim
glow surrounded
by darkness,
I read black names
on bland newsprint
and recognize none,
place no faces
or memories, a silent
parade that I glimpse
from behind, too late
to meet a gaze, if only
briefly, so I could say
I knew this one,
a place to anchor
my daily mourning.
Richard Dinges has an MA in literary studies from University of Iowa and manages business systems at an insurance company. The MacGuffin, Rio Grande Review, Writer’s Bloc, Illya’s Honey, and Pulsar have most recently accepted his poems for their publications.