Your Birthday

I wonder what you thought about the word closure
Did you find its premise perfectly fine
And the application completely ill-fitting, as I do?

The warning could have been a minute, a year, or a decade
Or exactly as it was, eight ill-fated days
The mythical creature, Closure, has never appeared
And besides, I've stopped searching

So instead I try keeping the good in my mind
I really do
Rather than ponder 'if you were here'
Or bemoan how damn unfair it was, and is

We spent hours, days, weeks at the duck pond
Stale bread dissolving in muddy water
As you told me all about the books you read
Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, indeed
Still one of my favorites

Training me for the spelling bees!
You'd say, "You're too smart for baby words, Jay."
And, "If it doesn't have 10 or more letters, we're skipping it!"
...
"Regard. R-E-G-U-A-R-D, regard."
"I'm sorry, that is incorrect."
...!

You never wavered in your belief
Of how hard work meant your ship would come in someday
Today many consider that a silly notion
But back then things were different, and you were right

I whined when you put The Clancy Brothers on
Or one of your hundred Irish albums
But the truth is, I adored much of the music you did
And simply wanted you to sing those songs
(because you sang them better)

Finding out your funny quirks resonated with me

Your nervousness at my driving
"Why do you have to change lanes?"
"Because, they're going 40 in a 65 zone Daddy!"

Or discovering you watched Beavis and Butthead late at night
I hated that show, but loved to laugh with you
Making it completely worth it

Learning you were a closet Buffalo Bills fan
You taught me the rules of the game
And about Flutie Flakes while you were at it

Finding out you'd served
You never mentioned, except to say, when I asked,
"I was in the Army."
And now, I have all your papers, and that ID from the 50's
The border is cracked and flaking
But the black and white photo still persists
...Persists

Until next year then...
Happy Birthday, Daddy