Fathers,Grandfathers,Step-fathers,Sons as Fathers

HERO 

"We are going to the jungle"

my father and son inform me

"Be careful of the lions

I tell them

My son ties a red terrycloth

superman cape around his neck

my father takes a walking stick

dog on leash 

the trio 

set off on safari

They are gone many days and nights

or so it seems

for I do worry about the lions

when my cubs have wandered off without me

No need to worry

here they come now

My father is wearing the superman cape

pretending to fly through the neighbourhood

shouting : superman! superman! 

My son is running by his side

the dog is yapping

my father in flourescent red

is making a spectacle of himself

I can see that to my son

this is no game 

of just pretend 

                                           up 

                                      up 

my father scoops him up

                                 up 

I watch as they lift up          into the air 

And fly the rest of the way home. 

  

1985, from In this House are Many Women, pub. 1992. Goose Lane Editions 

My father and my son, above. My son and his son, below.

I don't believe much in having one day a year set aside to honour our fathers and mothers. Some day I will write about why. For now, here's to every man who has been a loving father to a child. The teachers, the uncles, the step-fathers, the granddads. For single Moms trying to be dads. Single Dads trying to be moms. And for everyone who missed out on knowing their father, or is missing their father, and for all the fatherless children. For Dads learning to be Dads. Tired new Dads. Dads about to be. Worried Dads. Dads fighting disease, Dads in jail and Dads in war. Gay Dads. Divorced Dads. Dads who do not even know they are Dads. Dads who never got to be the fathers they wanted to be.

Here's to the dream every child can feel safe in the arms of a father.

And yes, remembering my Papa.