Poetry Friday - Celebrating Fathers

created by Linda Mitchell

It's Poetry Friday, and Denise Krebs is hosting HERE on her blog, Dare to Care. Visit Denise to learn about a new form, "the sacred seven" and then read the thoughtful poem she crafted in that form! Thanks for hosting, Denise! 

There are several themes to choose at this time in June. It's ALMOST the first day of summer, next Wednesday is Juneteenth, and Sunday is Father's Day. Today, I'm giving a shout to all the fathers, real or otherwise, in my life. 

         Many of you know that my father was killed in action in World War II. He was a pilot and his plane was shot down in Leyte Gulf, the Philippines, never recovered. I was two. My mother and I were already living with her parents, dear grandparents whose home became my home until later when my mother re-married. My father's parents were dear to me, too, and I spent a month there every summer from the time I was about eight. And, my step-father's mother became a third dear grandmother. His father was already gone when they married.

There's no date on this old picture, just a note on the back that
says "a splendid couple"! These are my maternal grandparents, Sarah Ann Morris
(from whom my daughter received her name) and James Hardy Coleman.

           With my own fathers and grandfathers, watching my late husband become a most wonderful father, and now watching my son, son-in-law, and brother as great fathers, I know how special that role in a child's life can be, starting with my own life. My mother's father, "Pop" to me, the first "dad" in my memory, was a farmer, feed store owner, and full of wise support to me all my years until he passed. He is who taught me that all people deserve respect and love. I never heard him say anything bad about anyone. He and I spoke on the phone often when I moved further away. The poem that fits, the poem that is him is this one. In my own memories, I see the washing up with that grainy bar, while I waited to be with Pop at the end of the day. I wonder if any of you connect with Lava soap in your memories!

         I am aware that Father's Day may be a sad one for some, am hopeful that you will find a way to honor fathers, whether in your lives directly or by only seeing them in your daily lives. 

         David Allan Evans was the poet laureate of the state of South Dakota from 2002 to 2014. The poem can also be found in Ted Kooser's The Poetry Home Repair Manual.