Legal Commentary

father’s day without dad

By David A. Giacalone

Looking for Father’s Day Haiku (or senryu)? You’ll find a few below and more here.

putting on my socks ?
that little grunt
dad always made

almost sunset
the weekend dad
drags a sled up the hill

??…….? by dagosan
?putting on my socks? - Frogpond (XXVIII: 2, 2005); inside the mirror: The Red Moon Anthology 2005
?almost sunset? - Frogpond XXIX: 2 (2006)

This is the first Father’s Day since my dad died (see “papa g’s night train,” Jan. 16, 2008). Over the years, I’ve always felt a little sad for sons and daughters who couldn’t spend Father’s Day with their dads — especially, for my child “law guardian” clients with divorced or separated parents, or the ever-increasing numbers of my friends, whose dads were dying. My own worse feeling for myself at Father’s Day, until now, has been a little guilt those years I merely sent a card and phoned, rather than driving a few hours to see Papa G.

This year, Father’s Day brings me the bittersweet pangs of having no living father. A few tears will probably fill my eyes now and then on Sunday. Nevertheless, as he would have wanted, I’m going to try to stress how lucky I was to have Arthur P. Giacalone alive until he was almost 89 years old. [Click for my favorite picture with dad (and my brother, on the right), from his 75th birthday in 1994.]

boot hill
one abandoned
toboggan

[In mem., Arthur P. Giacalone, who always got us back to the top of the hill]

Papa G was a jitter-bugger. I’m going to click on the Louis Prima video link this Father’s Day, to let Night Train help ?bring my daddy back to me.? Whether you are a child or a dad, may you have a Father’s Day that is more sweet than bitter.

funeral dirge ?
we bury the one
who could carry a tune

?????????.. dagosan - pending - Frogpond (Spring 2008)

day of the obit
inside his wallet
me at eleven

????? by Roberta Beary - Moonset 4:1 (2008)

Full post as published by f/k/a . . . on June 13, 2008 (boomark / email).