Joseph Chapman
I didn’t write my favorite song,
But I taught a kid how to ride a bike
And throw a punch that won’t get him in trouble,
And love someone, even if they leave.
She said forever like a lullaby,
But now the house hums like a refrigerator sigh
Still juice boxes in the fridge
With names written in a Sharpie that won’t wipe.
When the credits roll, I hope they spell my name right
I wasn’t the headline, but I stayed in the scene
She was the storm, and I held up the walls
Even when love pulled the floor from beneath me
We hit a wall of whispers and walking on eggshells
Talked in circles ’til the silence won
The kids started biting their nails again
Even the dog gave up waiting by the door.
But oh, those cannonball days
high dives like hallelujahs
For five minutes I swear we were whole
even if the water couldn’t hold us
She held her secrets like saints hold relics
Quiet and holy, but sharp at the edges
And I held their crayon hearts like contracts
Trying to believe I was one of them
No, I didn’t write my favorite song
But I learned it by heart through a door left ajar
Still buy juice boxes I don’t need
Still pause when I hear feet on tile.
Some songs only play once
Some families only bloom for a season
And maybe that’s enough
Even if no one calls me Dad anymore