I wish, after all, I could
Know him, the man who was
Before he was my father,
His pressing concern in
Life before he chose to select a
Preferred daughter, his relationship to
His own mother, underground coal
Mining father, the rivalry between
Brothers, sisters, a first wife,
My own mother and his near death
As a soldier, all he dreamed of
Nights under a world war sky,
The young pilots who escaped into
Air, not ever to return home
To apple orchards, he so then,
I came from, he’d grown careful
He was careful to explain with the
Grave voice of experience, you don’t
Want to get too close, my father for
Whose love I nearly succeeded in
Designing a burgundy scarf,
The better with which to encircle
His bare neck warned
You don’t want to get too
Close as he bound me
Heartstring to heartstring.