FAMILY by Roy Richard

 

In the greater scope of things, is your clan weird?

Mine won’t win any prizes, they’ve proven their true worth.

My dad was a “dirty old man”.

My mom a “gold digging hussy”.

Or so the respective “Families” said.

 

I have always felt disowned by my blood,

We were rarely included, given a thought

In celebrations and fun.

They all could not see the love, they had for each other,

Our “Family”.

 

Mother’s menfolk had to ‘work’ and so missed the wedding.

Dad’s family said they could still see his dead wife beside him.

Twenty-six years was too great a divide,

Their love didn’t meet the proper definition,

Of “Family”.

 

At Christmas Grandmother bought me pj’s while my cousins got trucks.

One exceptional year nothing under the tree for me,

“Oh, I left it upstairs, I’ll get it in a moment”, she muttered.

I could hear her wrapping something and I was presented with mis-fitting pj’s.

Some “Family”

 

The Uncles took the boys fishing and hunting,

To learn life skills that would make them men.

I wasn’t included, wonder what they were thinking?

But I learned a life skill,

How to hate “Family”.

 

Older cousins left me on the bench at little league.

Psst, dad forced them to put me on the team,

Then they lied why I didn’t play

I learned isolation at an early age,

From “Family”.

 

Funny, they could ask my parents for loans.

Risking handouts wasn’t forbidden.

Deals on cars, loans for houses, a little pocket money,

Dad never complained, just did what was right,

For “Family”

 

Only mother could care for grandmother when she took ill,

After all she had the ‘room’ and the ‘time’.

Never complaining after working forty hours and then cleaning up shit.

Sitting near the hospital bed, knitting mittens and waiting.

For “Family”.

 

Their marriage was not perfect,

Yes they quarreled and fought,

No more than others I’m sure.

But the love they shared inspired,

Our little “Family”

 

I’ve now built my own little brood,

Successful and strong,

Based on the example of their love.

I’m sure mom and dad would be proud.

If they could see, my “Family”

 

Roy Richard (Coot)

July 2022

 

Copyright Roy Richard