Fatherhood

with a phone blaring from his pocket

the gaze in the mirror is interrupted.

Shaving has to wait,

the call comes first.

‘Does b-u-o-q-u-e-t mean to fly in the sky?

I want to do my whole packet today so I don’t have homework later.

Wait. There are other words.

What’s a pair, p-e-i-r?’

It’s a call awaited since a quick dinner last night,

after baseball practice.

He sat there watching his one kid of the three that bothered to show up.

The hitting

The pitching

interrupted by the not catching.

That was the quality time.  Watching.

Then some tacos before the boy goes home.

‘Thanks.  Oh, I understand.  I get it now.

Hold on.  That’s mom calling.

I have to call you back.  Later’

That was this day’s parenting.

All of twenty minutes

Back to the quiet mirror.

It’s either this weekend or the next

where either he or the boy show up in person.

Reviews

[Kelly Scheppers]

It seems they never appreciate our efforts. You've captured the play by play so brilliantly I quite enjoyed this, Doug!