The Poetry of
Jack Scott

The Darker Father

The Darker Father,
Actuality,
dismisses his improbable son with a flick of the hand
and turns away once more.

Dismissals do not stick and must repeat themselves
until the unfortunate learns to take them up within
and shun himself internally.

The mother-in-marriage to the son
and to that father
is less a real thing
but more well remembered than the shadowy sire.

Replacement,
Substitution
prevail within the stubborn blood.

The son of the son traces his lineage in the sand
of his own beach
by his own sea
less leisurely than he might,
but there is no vacation.

There is no wading in Time.
Each must swim in his own way,
or drown.
Mundane?

The only mystery is
the strike,
the swimmer,
and the sea.

My son, my son,
my father’s father’s son’s son’s son,
I leaked,
I dribbled on to you
much of what my father leaked to me.

Is there another way?

 

501(L24) ®Copyright 1966 Jack Scott. All rights reserved.
From Poemystic.com