He didn’t have much to start with.
He never talked much about his family or background.
His parents couldn’t be parents.
Their parents didn’t have much to start with.
Thus they knew nothing of how to be family.

The boys fathered babies who fathered more babies.
Sometimes a mother raised that offspring;
Other times a mother would give the offspring
Up for adoption

Too often, fathers never knew their fathers.
They were raised by mothers
who tried their best, or not.
These boys, the unidentified sons of men
Who never knew their fathers
Were left repeating the cycle
That became a legacy.

On occasion, a man would find love
But didn’t know what to do.
Sometimes a man found love
And chose to love back.
He chose to choose without taking on
The sins of his father.

He chose to give his son
Something more to start with
Which he was never given:
Faith, hope, love, and a willingness to stay.

 

Janet Cormier is a painter, writes prose and poetry, and performs comedy. JC prefers different and original over pretty. She loves collecting stuff, but cleaning not so much. Janet also talks to strangers…a lot. Her column now appears weekly on Oddball Magazine.