Scene From a Mall
written by: Mark Alden
@MarkAAlden
Tonight I’m looking at a photograph
taken in a shopping mall years ago;
my father, my stepmother,
and my two children
lined up before the camera
like captive soldiers.
It occurs to me that this is the only picture
I have of them all together.
They are bundled up
in coats and hats, almost smiling.
Lit wreaths gleam in the background.
The irony.
My father did not celebrate holidays,
would likely not approve.
Yet here I am, so many years later,
in my lap, the Christmas card never sent.
Mark Alden is a writer and photographer. He is the author of the blog Haunted Avenues. His work has also appeared in the digital publications Illumination and Illumination Curated. He lives and works in upstate New York.
Latest posts by Mark Alden (see all)
- When We Were Young - March 19, 2024
- Scene From a Mall - December 20, 2023
- Home Baked - September 29, 2023
