Hamlet’s Father Came to Him in Armor on the Parapet

by Robin Wyatt Dunn / June 8th, 2025

Hamlet’s father came to him in armor on the parapet
inviting revenge
but mine comes in the bathroom
while I’m brushing my teeth
speaking in a quiet voice
about 1980s databases
and cell phone throughput
the counter that begins when the old antennae of the flip phones is raised
and the great machines whir up
to listen to us speak
my father hands me two VHS tapes
before going back into death
his face marked in the grief of corporate america
their labels are peeling off
his handwriting in black ink
describing the Cobol matrices
still whirring in the basement

Robin Wyatt Dunn was born in Wyoming in 1979. You can read more of his work at www.robindunn.com. Read other articles by Robin.

This article was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.