Two very different poems tonight. One celebrating the reconciliation of alienation, the other celebrating universal harmony.
My father was a difficult man
A stern persona, the product
Of a childhood low on childishness
There were no lessons needed
In emotional repression
A house of ten children
Leaves little room for growth
When the temper erupted
The punishment was swift
The pain eternal
If he suddenly became sullen
The fault was ours
For lack of appreciation
Hard work was his therapy
Intimacy was his deficiency
Reproach was not part of his makeup
When I assailed him for damage
He screamed that I wasn’t his confessor
He took out loans
To pay for my schooling
So I could average
A thousand bong hits a semester
And further contemplate
My lack of direction
He went to his grave a sage
He always said
I would have a hard life
I wouldn’t be surprised
If he developed
Post-mortem schizophrenia
Tears of disappointment
Laughter at my failure
His eulogy was a cold consideration
And his grandchildren barely knew him
Because he ensconced himself
In a warm tomb
With an alien woman
And a selective memory
After he polished my mom off early
In spite of these terrible sentiments
I remember him warmly
He did his best
I grant him penance
For his emotional absence
I owe him my ironic reverence
He made me a moral man
He ignited the spark of curiosity
That has become the passion of my life
If he was here today
After the crying
He would gladly say
If you need my help
I will smooth the way
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