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Friday, January 18, 2013

For My Dad

I only went fishing with my dad a few times, and I usually ended up in the back seat of the car with my nose in a book. Still, this poem captures his heart for me and much of mine for him. My dad has not been well since last August. As I spent these last days with my him, I know that his influence on my life has made me "fit for the future fight" and I am grateful.




A Boy and His Dad

 by Edgar Guest

A boy and his dad on a fishing-trip—
There is a glorious fellowship!
Father and son and the open sky
And the white clouds lazily drifting by,
And the laughing stream as it runs along
With the clicking reel like a martial song,
And the father teaching the youngster gay
How to land a fish in the sportsman's way.

I fancy I hear them talking there
In an open boat, and the speech is fair.
And the boy is learning the ways of men
From the finest man in his youthful ken.
Kings, to the youngster, cannot compare
With the gentle father who's with him there.
And the greatest mind of the human race
Not for one minute could take his place.

Which is happier, man or boy?
The soul of the father is steeped in joy,
For he's finding out, to his heart's delight,
That his son is fit for the future fight.
He is learning the glorious depths of him,
And the thoughts he thinks and his every whim;
And he shall discover, when night comes on,
How close he has grown to his little son.

A boy and his dad on a fishing-trip—
Builders of life's companionship!
Oh, I envy them, as I see them there
Under the sky in the open air,
For out of the old, old long-ago
Come the summer days that I used to know,
When I learned life's truths from my father's lips
As I shared the joy of his fishing-trips.

Violet Nesdoly hosts the round up today. 

14 comments:

  1. Awww! "Builders of life's companionship!" Thanks for sharing this, Dori. Wishing you and your dad the best.

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    1. Thanks, Tabatha. I'm making some sweet memories. Today we go to the IMAX theater at the Infantry Museum to see Skyfall!

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  2. Neat poem, Dori. It made me remember when my dad would take me along on fishing trips with my brothers. I'd squirm as much as the worms, which drove my brothers crazy, but not my dad. Thanks for sharing. =)

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    1. I really hated those squirmy worms! I still remember the moist, mealy earth that clung to my dad's fingers while he snagged the worm onto the hook. Shiver.

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  3. Lovely tribute, Doraine - wishing you and your dad all the best. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. This is beautiful, strong, and timeless. Such a fine tribute to a father.

    Violet N.

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    1. I do love it when I find an old poem that resonates so beautifully with my present moment.

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  5. I used to go fishing & hunting with my father when I was young, and have taken my daughters fishing plenty of times, as well - so this resonates deeply with me!

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    1. Wishing you many moments to treasure with those girls. I was definitely a daddy's girl growing up. The strength and confidence you impart to them is invaluable.

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  6. I hope you find lots of time with your dad these coming weeks & months, Dori. It's a beautiful poem voicing all that we hope for our children, doesn't it? I love "fit for the future fight".

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    1. Yes, you're right, Linda. I found it intriguing that I read this poem from differing perspectives. I kept switching from the child to the parent and back again. It says much from both points of view.

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  7. I love watching my husband build this kind of bond with our son.

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    1. Ah, another perspective! Ruth, it is a wonderful thing to see.

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