Two poems for fathers from my book, SLOW RIVERS, Poems from My Sixties (Joseph Neely, ISBN 979-8-218-43822-7). SLOW RIVERS can be ordered through your local bookstore and additional ordering information is available at josephneely.com. We are eight days from Father’s Day as I publish this post, so if you want to have the book in time for that holiday – whether you are an individual or a bookseller – contact me by noon on Wednesday, June 11th, and I’ll try my best to make that happen: slowriverpoems@gmail.com. Poems of childhood innocence, family, faith, place (esp. Michigan/Lake Michigan) and aging.

LEARNING OF GRACE

When I was a boy and very sick
my father sat by my hospital bed
and fed me treats from home,
but instead of being grateful
I complained he smelled of cigarettes
and uttered not a word of thanks.
He spoke to me gently,
washed his hands with lemon juice
and fed me more.

No sermon could convey
that lesson half so well,
for I did not deserve his kindness
and am sure I was never so gracious
towards a child of my own.

FULL CIRCLE

My son was twelve
when we last held hands,
walking through a parking lot
to buy bagels after church.

I sensed a car and reached out
to be sure he was safe
and he held on briefly but let go,
making clear he was suddenly
too old for holding hands.

And we now approach the day
when he’ll take my hand
as we cross busy roads,
and I will try not to pull away,
for a father must never grow
too old for holding hands.

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Joseph Neely, all rights to original material reserved, 2025.