Father’s Day

Here we go
Last Father’s Day
I’m thinking of my mother
Coming to this stage of life
I’m gonna lose another
..Parent
It’s apparent that I’m coming to the age
More than half this life behind me now
I’m turning to the stage
To take the mic
Step in the light
To plead
Present the proof
My mama she would want me to,
Speak and share my truth
My mama she would want me to
Speak and shine my lines
So I’ll take some time
Sit back rewind
To see what I can find
In memories
The seventies
Way back in simple days
My age in single digits
When my mom’s hair wasn’t gray
Of everyone
She was the one
Who set me on the path
Where it begun
This childhood run
That led to art + math
I asked her how to color
She laughed and said
Just start..
I brought the turquoise crayon down
And colored in my heart..
Scribbles racing freely
Dancing here and there
Didn’t know if it was right or wrong
One color everywhere
Smiling when she looked at it
The whole page turquoise blue
“Don’t matter if it’s right,” she said
“What matters: it’s by you..”
“It matters it’s by you, anak*”
I’ll keep this in my mind
My objective: introspective
Colors forms and lines
Circle, spin, rotate the wheel
Abduction inside-out
Central focus locus to reveal
Dreams hopes and fears and doubts
Gesture, scream, and then a shout
Wind and fire waterspouts
Whispers.. mumbling about
My.. everything without..
I’m thinking of my mother
I’m thinking turquoise blue
I’m thinking that I think too much
And now I gotta DO..

[anak = Tagalog for “my son”] © LFrancisco 2022

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