It is the strangest thing.

I will give nothing.

I will try;

Not even the softest whisper

 of encouragement,

Not a moment of mediation.

I will invite my problems

-And all of yours of course-

In for a warm dinner by candlelight.

No business at the table.

No social work.

Only a bite to eat and light conversation

About the weather.

I will sit with anxiety

And anger.

Yours and mine.

Give them matching plates to eat from.

By the end, everyone leaves

Slightly refreshed

And more stupefied.

Nothing will be helped.

It is an unnatural, funny thing.

Amber Harris is a writer and editor who graduated from The University of West Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in English and a Creative Writing minor. She writes poetry, flash prose, and fiction. She hopes to get her work published and pursue a master's degree in Library Science or Editing/Publishing.