Grandfather

It's never finished is it?

One of my fathers died today

The older one, the one who taught me about the oxygen tank

The one in the M-109, just aft of the pilot, the weak point

He said, Bob, aim here, he is weakest here
My name isn’t bob, his first son, I am hunter

But he is one of my fathers, so for today I’m Bob,

And I love him

 

He says Bob, Wright Patterson is a big place

Be sure to get an early start, you’ll want to be early,

Prompt, and well fitted

They look for that you know"the ones who fit better than the rest

So get some sleep son,

And know"I love you

 

The stories pour from his wingtips

I see the Philippines and Bangalore

And I am alive

And I am alive as he was decades ago

Young, brave, and fresh

Even then, though I didn’t know it

I loved him"and that was enough

 

Today one of my fathers left

He didn’t say goodbye, and that’s okay

He was busy packing, and I can understand

We all have reasons to forget breathing"

And to forget where we are

But my grandfather taught me one thing

He said Bob, never forget who you are

And I loved him