When my father died at 46

I had no idea

What that meant

To him

Or to me

Oh no

He wanted a boat

And a piece of land

In the end he acquired neither

He wanted to wrestle

And have his back rubbed

And I was required to be the believer

Last time I saw him he was on the bathroom floor

Wanted to tell me stories about the war

Mamma hid the medicine

And I mopped up the blood

He slept in an elevated bed

He was the baby of the family

The baby of the family

One more time

He just turned 30 when I was. Born

32 when my brother came along

Went to school on the GI bill

And listened to Nat King Cole

Sometimes your’e right

And sometimes you are wrong

Sometimes you knew the truth all along

What do you call that thing that you do

Would you rush to my Aid if I fell from grace

Would you carry me down from some lofty place

Would you give me a ride

If you saw me standing by the highway

He wanted a boat

And a piece of land

In the end he acquired neither

He went to school on the GI bill

And listened to Nat King Cole