An Elephant, Someday

Old.

The free-spirited,
Bohemian,
Long-haired,
Guitar-playing,
Motorcycle-riding,
Wisdom-sharing,
Embodiment that was a man
I called dad.
He filled my head
With wishing-well fantasies.
You know,
The wishes on pennies
That never come true.
So eventually,
You start wishing for outrageous things.
An elephant.
A pool full of pudding.
New shoes.

And he used to
Talk
So
Much.
He used to say
“Money
Should never become the most
Important
Thing in your life, Jennifer.”
I think he meant
“I’m sorry I don’t know
How to
Keep
A
Job,
Or how to manage the
Little
We
Have.
But I’ll get you an elephant
Someday.”
I used to get mad at him.
For being financially irresponsible.
For being flighty and moving us everywhere.
For being a bad parent.
For being my friend.
Now I don’t.

And he used to
Talk
So
Much.
He used to say
“Love
Should always be the most
Important
Thing in your life, Jennifer.”
I think he meant
“I’m sorry I don’t know
How to
Keep
A
Relationship.
Or how to manage the
Crazy
Woman
Here.
But I’ll get you an elephant
Someday.”
I used to get mad at him.
For being emotionally irresponsible.
For being flighty and taking off on whims.
For being a bad father.
For being my friend.
Now I don’t.

And he used to
Talk
So
Much.
And now he’s off in Belize,
Chasing elephants.

Reviews

[Circe]

what a write... this is one of the best I've ever seen about broken father-daughter relationships.. I can't even write about mine it just makes me feel empty inside.. this is really exceptional.. there's something so sad about a young girl being disappointed over and over again by her father.. he doesn't even try he just makes excuses for himself... and to understand those shortcomings takes a very intelligent, sensible person... a heartbreaking piece.

[Ed Fagan]

Wow!