Dumb joke, like always,
This one a song parody
My patient son smiles his patient smile
He loves me, I know that
And he allows me my humor
He appreciates it for the clever
If not for the funny.
I am looking into a distorted mirror
The spitting image from one angle
From another, a man I never was
A strong silent type. the guy you
Want next to you when the shit goes down.
Where did he learn to stand up straight?
I try to crack him up with the same
Silliness I used when he was five.
It's really all I have. Again he smiles
Out of respect for a man who has been
Always there. He laughs only when I've already
cracked myself up, enjoying the pleasure on my face
Like you would a child with his first knock knock joke.
But I can't beat him. No giggle fits,
No spit takes, no shock value
His countenance remains serene.
I keep trying, I keep trying.
I think we both see what's coming,
Not this year or next, but someday.
My forgetfulness is surprising but mild
Compared to the day in the far future
When I will forget his name, my address,
When his serenity will be tested
Against my panic, my rage against the cruelty of
A life winding down. I'm afraid I won't
Go gently.
He will have to be patient
He will have to be strong
He will have to look into the distorted mirror
As he teaches me my first knock knock joke.
