by Ernie McCray
Had so much fun
the other day
with my offspring
at a nice café,
with one brief
moment
when I had to
wipe a couple
of tears away,
as I shared a story
about one of my two
children who passed away
and how I think about both of them
every single day,
sometimes
several times a day,
briefly, though,
I’m glad to say,
and it seems
like it’s going to be that way
until the very end of my days.
But, laughing and smiling
and just enjoying each other
was how we mostly
spent our time together
that day.
And when I drove away
from the eatery
after picking up the check,
a daddy kind of thing,
my heart began to sing
as I looked back over my 65 years
of parenting,
beginning when I was eighteen
which is not something I’d recommend
for any teen,
but I’ve given being a dad
all that I have
in me
and now I bask in what
wonderful human beings
they’ve grown up to be,
loving and caring and decent
and bright as they can be,
each creative
in varying ways,
learners still.
Whenever I’m near them
the love I feel from them
and the love I have for them
gives me a thrill.
