How Do We Forgive Our Fathers? By Dick Lourie

Maybe in a dream?

Do we forgive our fathers for leaving us too often?

Or forever?

When we were little?

Maybe for scarin’ us with unexpected rage…

or makin’ us nervous because there seemed never to be any rage there at all.

Do we forgive our fathers for marryin’ or not marryin’ our mothers?
For divorcin’ or not divorcin’ our mothers?
And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness?
Shall we forgive them for pushing or leaning?
For shutting doors, for speaking into walls
or Never speaking
or
Never being silent?
Do we forgive our fathers in our age or in theirs?
Or in their deaths, saying it to them or not saying it?

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If we forgive our fathers what is left?