Strangers

‘We never had much in common,’ said

The man in the sailor hat,

‘He was the father, I was the son,

And that,’ he said, ‘was that!

We had some fun in my younger days

And he seemed to always care,

I grew, and we went our different ways

And I lost him then, out there.’

‘Why would you turn your back on him,’

I asked, and he shook his head,

‘Didn’t you think one day you’d blink

And your father would be dead?’

‘I didn’t believe it would cut me down,’

He said as he wiped a tear,

And leant his back on the headstone, 

‘I didn’t know that I’d meet him here.’

‘So what was that final argument

That made you get up and go?

I asked him once what had turned your head

And he said that he didn’t know.’

‘Neither do I, but he must have said

A word, and my temper flared,

A single thing with an inner sting

That said he had never cared.’

‘He always cared, I can tell you that,

From the time you could kick a ball,

He only had eyes for you, his son,

But surely, you can recall.’

I left him sat on the grave while I

Went off to brood on my own,

Then found that he’d scratched ‘I love you Dad,’

Too late, on that old headstone.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[No one]

the last sentence broke my heart into peices. and this part
"‘Why would you turn your back on him,’
I asked, and he shook his head,
‘Didn’t you think one day you’d blink
And your father would be dead?’
‘I didn’t believe it would cut me down,’
He said as he wiped a tear,
And leant his back on the headstone, 
‘I didn’t know that I’d meet him here.’" reminded of something similiar that happened to me.
such an important subject you wrote about, much relate!

[softlyfall]

I am hearing the Cat Stevens song "Father and Son" in my mind, very similar in perspective.
When the epiphany comes too late, it is because your destiny believes you need a harsher lesson. But I can see how those who believe there is only one mortal lifetime would be devastated by such a thing.
A poem filled with pathos and understanding, really excellent.

[Barbz]

Oh, my aching heart! I'm sure that a great deal of your readers can relate to this heart-wrenching display of regret. How often a sharp tongue or an act of indifference can burn that bridge to paradise. How often is it just a misunderstanding that you realize, when it's just too late. This, your latest poem gives this follower confirmation that love and forgiveness is just a gift you give yourself. Perhaps it can convince one not to wait until it's too late! Thank You DLP.......Barbz

[richieb]

Relationships between father and son can be complicated and bittersweet, I know mine with my Dad was that way. But you only get a certain amount of time to at least make the best of it. I think you captured these feelings well David. Its not always easy to look back when sometimes the pain outweighs the smiles. Thank you for handling a sensitive subject so well. Richie

[Jane Winters Rogers]

This is packed with raw emotion, so real it hurts my heart....you can totally touch and connect your great sensitivity to your readers psyche. I love that about your writing when you choose to write a poem like this one...I had tears in my eyes at the end....."he scratched I love you Dad"....I know about these feelings first hand. I hadn't seen my Dad for 2 years, the last time I saw him he was "sleeping off" a bout of bing drinking.when he died there was no time left to say 'I love you Dad'....life is full of joy and pain....thanks for writing this one. It will always be one of my favorites......

[R Smith]

such a sad story David, to find his love after so long and never really knowing why it all happened, could be a sad indictment of society today my friend, written so well and with such eloquence, a beautiful if terribly unhappy poem, you handled it so very well :)