Once Each Year We’d See Them Dance

Robert Fillman

on their anniversary

to a song from the forties,

sisters singing harmonies,

horn pops, a muted-trumpet

or clarinet soloist,

the television turned off,

he in his bed shirt, laughing,

she in her nightgown, bare arm

softly draped around his back,

the other arm letting him

take the lead for once, hands clasped,

turning slowly in circles

lumbering to the downbeat,

tipping over as they turned,

usually by accident,

laughing as the circle grew

more wild and uncircle like,

bumping into TV trays,

inching closer to the bed

in the middle of the room,

laughing as if we weren’t

there to watch the performance,

their faces shining with glee,

enough happiness to last

them another whole, sad year

of insults and bickering. 

Robert Fillman is a Ph.D. candidate and Teaching Fellow at Lehigh University, where he also edits the university’s literary magazine, Amaranth, and runs the Drown Writers Series. He was named the judge of the George S. Diamond Poetry Prize by Moravian College for the 2015-2016 academic year, and has been featured as a “Showcase Poet” in the Aurorean. Recently, his poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Apeiron Review, The Chiron Review, The Common Ground Review, Glassworks, Kudzu House Quarterly,  Spillway, Third Wednesday, and others. He lives in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife, Melissa, and his two children, Emma and Robbie.

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Once Each Year We’d See Them Dance

Robert Fillman

on their anniversary

to a song from the forties,

sisters singing harmonies,

horn pops, a muted-trumpet

or clarinet soloist,

the television turned off,

he in his bed shirt, laughing,

she in her nightgown, bare arm

softly draped around his back,

the other arm letting him

take the lead for once, hands clasped,

turning slowly in circles

lumbering to the downbeat,

tipping over as they turned,

usually by accident,

laughing as the circle grew

more wild and uncircle like,

bumping into TV trays,

inching closer to the bed

in the middle of the room,

laughing as if we weren’t

there to watch the performance,

their faces shining with glee,

enough happiness to last

them another whole, sad year

of insults and bickering.

 

Robert Fillman is a Ph.D. candidate and Teaching Fellow at Lehigh University, where he also edits the university’s literary magazine, Amaranth, and runs the Drown Writers Series. He was named the judge of the George S. Diamond Poetry Prize by Moravian College for the 2015-2016 academic year, and has been featured as a “Showcase Poet” in the Aurorean. Recently, his poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Apeiron Review, The Chiron Review, The Common Ground Review, Glassworks, Kudzu House Quarterly, Spillway, Third Wednesday, and others. He lives in eastern Pennsylvania with his wife, Melissa, and his two children, Emma and Robbie.