The kids had father's day with me. The day.
She dropped them off this morning. We played Life.
And every time I spun, things went my way.
(There is no square that says "Divorce your wife.")
I made some lunch: organic shells and cheddar,
With peas and corn, all frozen in a bowl.
I thought about how things have gotten better,
And wondered how a child might grow up whole,
Or not. And whether what I'd done was right;
How seismic shocks can leave tectonic scars
In children. Whether love could have the might
Of oceans, and if such a love was ours,
Eroding jagged peaks from mountain ranges,
Thrust skyward by inevitable force;
Eroding pain away from sudden changes,
When parents' lives take on a diff'rent course.
Or of a hundred million years of rain.
Just miniature golf today, and then
An ice cream sundae, wearing down the grain
An imperceptible amount. And when
The hour arrived, I walked them in Her door,
Assured of what my time with them was for.
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Comments
Always liked the word "tectonic" altho' I was once speaking w/ another doc and managed to say "teutonic" when I meant "tectonic" and the doc laughed at me... Sort of like another friend of mine was talking about the "teutonic plague" when she meant "bubonic".... But something about the upheaval of geographic plates that really epitomizes the upheavals in life from divorce.... Again, as always, well done, O Bard!
The hour arrived, I walked them in Her door,
Assured of what my time with them was for."
A very poignant poem, first of all. You've expressed the questions that plaque many divorced parents so well. At the end, what matters is being sure in your heart that you've done the best for them with love . Your children will always know. ~R And many happy returns.
In children"
Stunning line. Great that you got to spend the day with your kids, and to write a lovely poem for them - and the rest of us - to cherish.
That's what I was waiting to hear. When you think of all the children who are abused, unloved, unwanted - divorce isn't that bad. When the children are loved as much as it sounds like from their parents, that's what really matters in the end. Happy Father's Day, my friend.
(There is no square that says "Divorce your wife.")
Perfect.
Glad you enjoyed them on your day. Glad you had that feeling at the end. Hugs, DB.
Day by day you allow us to listen as you find your way through all of this. The thread I hear that calls me most is your love for your children. We hear it here in your words, but they know it from your deeds. You are there with them, for them, and that being there makes you glad. "Assured of what my time with them was for."
I don't think that there is a greater gift a parent can give a child than the sureness of their love. Love can have "the might of oceans" and from here, at least, it seems that that love is yours.
I grew up with parents who stayed together, who did not divorce though sometimes I wondered why. Slamming doors, flying glass, storms and gales and frozen tundras became much of the world I knew. I sensed love might be somewhere but fear, for me, was everywhere. That child in me reads your words and even my fear evaporates. Calm, peace, love: what gifts you give them that will stay with them all their lives. Sorry for blathering on here. Your words have struck so many nerves. The fact that you even think of such questions, let alone look at them, ponder them and face them head on help us all. I think.
r~
Of oceans, and if such a love was ours,
Eroding jagged peaks from mountain ranges,
Thrust skyward by inevitable force;
Eroding pain away from sudden changes,
When parents' lives take on a diff'rent course."
as a child of a similar situation, i can say it does have the might of oceans. love is a fulcrum. is the bridge across troubled waters and an even greater divide, the eroder of pain that results from "sudden changes when parents' lives take on a diff'rent course."