My father's gone, and all I got was this dumb poem.
Who is alive despite an exploding heart.
My father who walks with me
Or alone between the wings of geese and ducks.
My father, the alcoholic, like my brother,
Always fighting with cruel biting words.
Who never watches TV except for his 5 O'clock
Business report, stopping only to photograph
Flowers or a cat.
In the old photos my Dad is impossibly
Young, his face unlined, white-blonde hair
Cut into a crewcut, his face is not severe,
But open laughing.
They used to listen to jazz in clubs
In Minneapolis. My Mom wore cat's-eye
Glasses in those pictures even in the
White wedding one. You never looked so
White in your formal wear.
The stars are out tonight.
My father who knows he is my favorite,
But still they lie to each other so he
Won't have to deal with me as I am-
Crazy.
And we are so like each other,
Are you afraid you're like me?
© 2006 Anne Westlund
Poetry by Anne Westlund
Read 845 times
Written on 2006-10-03 at 04:41
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Dad
This is a poem to my fatherWho is alive despite an exploding heart.
My father who walks with me
Or alone between the wings of geese and ducks.
My father, the alcoholic, like my brother,
Always fighting with cruel biting words.
Who never watches TV except for his 5 O'clock
Business report, stopping only to photograph
Flowers or a cat.
In the old photos my Dad is impossibly
Young, his face unlined, white-blonde hair
Cut into a crewcut, his face is not severe,
But open laughing.
They used to listen to jazz in clubs
In Minneapolis. My Mom wore cat's-eye
Glasses in those pictures even in the
White wedding one. You never looked so
White in your formal wear.
The stars are out tonight.
My father who knows he is my favorite,
But still they lie to each other so he
Won't have to deal with me as I am-
Crazy.
And we are so like each other,
Are you afraid you're like me?
© 2006 Anne Westlund
Poetry by Anne Westlund
Read 845 times
Written on 2006-10-03 at 04:41
Tags Loss
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
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