I am writing this
Because Father’s Day
Is coming
And I want to tell you
I’m sorry
For a bunch of stuff I did
Then when I get finished
Apologizing
For all that stuff I did,
I am gonna forgive you
For something
You did.
I’m sorry for crying like a baby
Though I was five
When we were at Carolina Beach
On vacation
And I didn’t want to ride anything
And you said
“Wendell, that boy needs to ride something”
And y’all went from place to place,
Ride to ride,
And I shook my head
And blubbered
But you wanted me to ride sumthin’
And I cried
And wouldn’t ride a durn thing
And during the turmoil
My two older sisters
Got lost
And when we got back to the car
They weren’t there
And you said to stay
Put
I didn’t hear you say it
But I have been told
In fact, I don’t remember any of it,
But your wife told me about it,
And she always tells it the same way
So I know it’s true
We waited at the car
And sure ‘nuff
The two sisters showed
And they were cryin’ too
A cryin’ bunch I reckon
Anyway, I’m sorry bout that
And I’m sorry ‘bout when all the men
Would be standing
Out in the churchyard
After Sunday school
Before preachin’
And y’all would be talkin’
And I would interrupt
And I would want to be
The center of attention
And I guess maybe I done that.
Your friends would laugh,
Good naturedly,
At the little red head chubster,
And Cleff Carpenter would even
Let me measure against him
And not get embarrassed
Or mad
‘Cause he was awful short
But you put up with it
I don’t remember but a couple times
When we were on the way home
To eat country style steak
And rice your wife would usually scorch
Just a coupla times you said
“Ya know, David could be quieter
When I am talkin’
To the men
In the church yard”
And you would look at me
Kinda hard
But you never got real mad
And I reckon I was hard headed
“Cause I know I never quit
Doin’ it.
But now I’m tellin’ you
I’m sorry for it.
And I’m sorry for that time
When I made you late for work
‘Cause I pitched a fit
About a long sleeved shirt
Momma gave me to wear
But the left sleeve was missing
A button
And I pitched a fit.
The school bus came and went
Taking Linda and Dottie
Leaving the Blubbering Baby
You tried to reason with me.
You said, “Here’s what to do,”
And you unbuttoned your long sleeved shirt,
And you rolled your sleeves
And then you grinned at me.
“See there, you can do that
Nobody will know
A button is missing,
Looky, I’ll even do it for you,”
And I let you do it
And you rolled ‘em up
And I quit cryin’
And you drove me to school
And you were late for work.
I’m sorry ‘bout all that.
There’s a bunch more things
I’m sure
That I’m sorry about
But I’ll leave ‘em alone
The last thing I’m sorry about
Happened
When you were real sick
You had lost a bunch of weight
And Momma had to go to Belk’s
And buy you a pair of pants
And a shirt
‘Cause you had got so poor.
I don’t remember the shirt
But the pants were seersucker
This wardrobe was needed
‘Cause you had an appointment
A doctor’s appointment
You had been in
And out
Of the hospital
And I remember
When you and Momma got home
I was outside
At the side porch
And you got out of the car
The ’59 Ford
Momma had gone into the house
And I blurted out
“Daddy, do you have to go back
Into the hospital?”
And I saw the tears
Welling
In your eyes
And you went on inside
Daddy, I’m sorry ‘bout that
I know it made you sad
Well, that’s about all of it,
‘Bout all the things I can think of.
I’m sure there’s plenty more,
But I suppose this is a plenty.
Now I want to forgive you
For
What
You
Did
I want to forgive you
For what you took
From me.
‘Cause I been mad about it
Been mad ‘bout you dying
But I was talkin’
To some
Of my buddies
And ole Joe Ratchford
He said sumpin’
That made sense.
He looked at me
With them big brown eyes
(Looked kinda like a cow’s eyes –
His momma’s were the same)
It was recess at Costner School
And I was in the sixth grade
And you hadn’t been gone long.
Joe said, “Well David,
Don’t you know
Your daddy had no choice.”
Well, I thought about that
And I figgered ole Joe
Was right.
I reckon you couldn’t do nuthin’
Bout it.
So, Daddy, I have decided
To forgive you.
Happy Father’s Day.