The Ties That Bind

My son thought it an adventure learning how to build on real scale Who could say they don't love the day when their sons light shone in detail

My son thought it an adventure

learning how to build in full scale

Who could say they don't love the day

when their boy's light shone in detail

 

We had worked into the evening

my son and I together played

Sharing the trials exchanging smiles

rebuilding the home where we stayed

 

He felt this would be a great test

knowing on him I would depend

I think he knew as I did too

that summer was about to end

 

I drift back in dreams to the day

we both held to our love of clan

The autumn breeze played through the trees

saying my boy was now a man

 

Johnny Cash   Home of the Blues 

Author's Note

Our house had suffered smoke damage last summer. It was a telling time for sure. But through it all my son stood by me. He and he alone helped me rebuild what we had lost. I realized when he turned down going to meet friends for a trip to Cedar point just to help me finish our new deck that he was a man. But as we passed smiles back and forth I also knew I was losing my little boy. It is a great feeling to know you have done well by your child. It is also so sad to realize that the day will soon come that I will have to let go. I can say when a man is a boy all the new days ahead are adventures. But to a father time seems to test your resilience. While everything is exciting to the young who find it new. Life makes us grow when older by learning to let go.

Reviews

[Nothing Personal]

I am bemused by the contrasting effect the title has to the rest of the poem. A father watches his son grow up, enough to be a man? How many roads must a boy walk down before you call him a man? I like the personal flavor and the nuances of describing time by building a house and the tell tale breeze remarking that the boy has grown up..It has a old world poetry feel to it, the kind we read in literature text books in school..Please send me RR..I like what I read here..

[Inner Rain]

"I drift back to that special time
when we held together our clan
A telling breeze played through the tree's
as my boy had become a man"

I love this stanza! Great write. I really like the emotions that flow in this poem. :P

[My Fair Lady]

The time flies by so quickly.. take advantage of every opportunity to teach, listen and work together.. soon he will have a son following after him. :) I always love your tender parenting poetry my friend. Hugs.

[heido]

I love when you write about being a father. I have to wonder what keeps some parents from being everything they should be. Your children well never be without you for the care and love you've given them. They are truely blessed.

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Love the thoughts behind this poem. Letting go can be hard.
But they have to fly.. really lovely in poem form .

Chloe

[Mary]

A nice touching poem, great write.

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

Great poem Tate.

[Through the Gateway]

An interesting poem about coming of age.

[The Analog Kid]

I have yet to know this feeling but my son is getting closer to that age. Good sentiments. He was a young man at that point. That is something to be proud of...

[Im His Daughter]

this is a great poem tate, very well done. Keep it up!