Dear Dad,
it’s 3
in the morning
Spring is almost
sprung
with the time change
and all
we’ve had up
and down weather
round here
people are snowed-in
in New York
and other parts
making giant snowmen
and colorful igloos
and ice sculptures
no flakes here
jest off and on rain
planted watermelon seeds
yesterday
and garlic bulbs
and pruned the roses
and moved the dead-looking plants
the cold took
maybe they’ll perk back up
‘ya never know
had some red geraniums
in a window box one year
that looked deader than dust
but they came back
bright red
‘ya jest never know
need to run up to the lake
and turn the water
back on
it’d be nice to be there now
waiting for the sun to come up
over the water
but i love being here at home
too
been rearranging stuff
and thinking about things
lots of things
probably why i can’t sleep
time is slipping away
you’ve been gone
33 years today
you wouldn’t recognize
the world
right now
it’s nothing like it was
when you were in it
and i could go on and on about it
but it wouldn’t change a thing
it is what it is
but some things remain the same
that you would recognize …
the light still comes up
in the morning
illuminating the leaves
and turning the dew to diamonds
same on the sea
and across the river
and the mist still moves across the pasture
through the trees
like a blessing
before it drifts off
leaving the flowers to say
what they say
and the rabbits still come out
and chew on the clover
and the deer on corn
the cows still graze on grass
the horses still chew on hay
the chickens still lay their eggs
and the rooster still crows
the robin comes back in the Spring
like the daffodils and the buttercups
like lily-of-the-valley
and children still hunt fer the golden egg
and play outside
and watch it rain when it rains
and wish for snow at Christmas
and a rainbow in the sky is still something
to see
you can still hear a distant train on the tracks
and a church bell ring
and a cheer go up at a game
and the bases are still loaded
and the field is still full of fans
and the court is still slammed
and the boxers are still in the ring
and golf is still green
and everyone everywhere is still running
their own race
at their own pace
there’s always something to still laugh about
or cry about
or whine about
just more magnified
now
but the basic things in life
remain …
i still miss you
too much
same as i did
when i was
jest a kid
TL
(March 1, 1993)