A Father's Love

[Dark Muse]

A Father's Love

We stand worlds apart
and I know in my heart
you never imagined
this day would come,
never crossed your mind
that I would turn out this way,
and how I fought,
tried to turn away
to become what I thought
would make you look at me with pride,
but I crumbled and fell
and you were the one
to lift me back up,
and when I broke down and cried
and told you the truth,
I couldn't be what you always wanted,
I wasn't that boy
to play catch in the yard,
or make it on the football team
and surround myself with girls.
While I was terrified
you only smiled
the look in your eyes
told me you knew all along.
You dried my tears
and told me that no matter what,
regardless of who I loved,
I was and would always be
your son.

[hillwalker]

There is something life-affirming about this poem - the sad fact that so many parents have their children's lives planned out for them as an extension of their own failed ambitions or short-sightedness is tempered here with this father's unconditional love for his child. Not your usual subject matter, DM, but skillfully handled.

[dafydd manton]

Was that son perhaps never going to turn out to be a father, that would give his Dad grandchildren? I suspect so, and if he came to terms with that, and still loved his son, he is a Great Man. Quite raw in its honesty, and not an emotion I can imagine, but beautifully put.

[angliholic]

That's part of life!
It's sad but we have to face it when it happens to us!

Man proposes, God disposes!

There seems to be nothing we can do about it!

[Dark Muse]

Was that son perhaps never going to turn out to be a father, that would give his Dad grandchildren? I suspect so, and if he came to terms with that, and still loved his son, he is a Great Man. Quite raw in its honesty, and not an emotion I can imagine, but beautifully put.

Yes essentially that is so. As it is intended to be about a Father accepting his son who is gay, and his son being afraid to tell his father, thinking he would not understand, but deep down his father sensed the truth all along.

Thank you everyone else for your comments.

[dafydd manton]

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to comment on a good piece of work.

[PrinceMyshkin]

Having as I do one child who is unisexual and two who are straight, I know that their sexual orientation has nothing to do with the pride and love I feel for all three of them. Good for you (and your father) for accepting yourself.

[Jerrybaldy]

Very moving Muse. I expected throughout that (your?) father would not be accepting and I felt pleased that he turned out to be a true father and he sounds a great man. I loved that you felt you could see in his eyes, that he knew all along and therefore, that he was just waiting until you were ready to tell him.
best wishes
Jerry

[Dark Muse]

Thank you for your comments, and just to clarify, this is not about me personally. I am in fact a female both biologically and psychologically.

I was acutally inspired to write this by a father/son relationship on the TV show Glee.

[Jerrybaldy]

Then you stepped into anothers mind very convincingly Muse

[Dark Muse]

Thank you, for me my poetry is often a way to explore perspectives outside of my own.

[hillwalker]

Which you always do with the deftest of touches.