Eileen Toomey

Our Dining Room Table

for Michael

Velma bought us Waterford on every occasion. Enough for a large well-set table. They sit in my cabinet now, pristine, untouched until Christmas. I appreciate fourteen matching water glasses shimmering when we fill them.

My cousin Pam sent the “You Are Special Today” plate when Colleen and Claire were small—red enamel, fired in Germany. It cracked into three pieces years ago. I don’t remember how. We glued it back together into a haphazard peace sign. We still use it on birthdays. 

it’s the music
we choose to accompany 
the meal inside 
the light of candles— 
remembering the loves

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About the Author

Eileen Toomey has been published in The Rumpus, Does It Have Pockets, Flash the Court, among other magazines. Her poem “Immunotherapy” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net after winning second place in Cleaver Magazine’s Form and Form-Breaking contest. She is currently seeking representation for her memoir, You Were All Average: From Canaryville to Bread Loaf.

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