A Father Encourages


I watched my daughter as she dove
down to the bottom of the well,
came up for breath only once
came up to speak only once
came up herself only once,
gasping for breath, in a rush
to breathe, only to be told
she hadn’t reached the bottom yet.
It was I who said that
and pushed her head back under.



from Notes on my father

Popeye and The Three Stooges. My favorite
Stooge was Shemp: replaced, forgotten.