when the lights go out

my father
despite his failing
vision,
his muffled ears,
his wobbly
legs
insists on living alone.
no
senior home
for him.
no spoon fed meals,
no lights out
at ten.
he'll go down
swinging.
doing it the way
he's always done it.
fiercely independent
of everything
and everyone.
and when the lights go
out,
when it finally
ends
i'll be happy
and grateful
for who he's been,
not just a father,
but a close
and loving friend.