Popular Poems for and About Sons

breath by breath the unsteady rhythm of death
shadowing your soul the angels are waiting for you
medicated now for comfort
the doctors know what they won't tell me
I'm losing you for the last time

my heart swells, I desire to save you from that demon
but I realize living is sometimes too painful
somehow I know I failed you utterly and it's too late
for the days in the sun, I thought we would have

look on me kindly when you can
my soul found yours in the end
my being always loved you
with every bit of me

sacred...

once we were warriors filled
with fierce pride
banging our fists to chest
we would shake with the need to bleed
or make bleed
we were men that knew the language of protection
we were men that knew the language of love
toward our family
that knew how to nurture
our hard curbed by their soft
 
but  
warped by booze
violence turned inward
we directed hate at ourselves
letting it spill over our loved ones
and our pride

died  

became a curse  
cheap piss and beer breath ...

Letter to my first
I unleashed you
into the world
with the snip of a natal chord

With tenacity we fell
in love at first sight
even then I knew this world
thru me was yours

Three played together
as I watched you
grow strong
from a feeble introduction

To hold your head high
looking up to me
a child-father
no prerequisite nor question

Seems I did the teaching
but truth is
I learned myself
in sacrifice thru you

Re-lived from first step
to remove training wheels ...