Your Father's Run Off and Your Mother Is Dead

Your father’s run off

And your mother is dead

And it’s sad

It’s very sad

But you’re tough

And if you’re not tough
You will be

Because being left to die

Will toughen you up

And if you dont' die
You’ll be racked with grief

And you’ll never truly be able

To love anyone

But you’ll be tough

And that’s valuable in its own way

Some would argue

That it’s better than love

But the people making that argument
Have never really experienced love

Or loved another person

Now I have no idea how you’ll eat

Or pay for things

Or survive

But the amazing thing about survival

Is that nobody really expects you

To be able to do it

Especially at your age

A seven-year-old without parents

Might have half a chance

But you’re six

So you’re probably going to die

Just like your mother

Or run into the woods

Like your father did

When he realized
He’d have to raise you

On his own

That was horrible of him

But human beings get scared

And you have to accept

That not everyone can be tough

And maybe you won’t end up being tough

And if you’re not

Maybe one day you’ll try to love someone anyway

And maybe you’ll have a child with that person

And maybe when it hits you

That another human being

Is completely dependent on you

It’ll scare you more than anything’s

Ever scared you in your whole life

And you’ll run into the woods

Just like your father

Thereby creating some pattern

Of fear and retreat

That generations will echo

Long after you’re dead and gone

Or maybe a bear will eat you

It’s hard to say

It’s hard to predict what happens next

Because--whereas a child without a mother

Might have one kind of future

And a child without a father

Might have another kind of similar future

A child with no mother

And no father

Who has experienced both death

And desertion

At such a young, young age

Is very unlikely to--to--to--

Overcome

Very unlikely

It’s not impossible

But it’s as close to impossible

As I--or any reasonable person--

Could foresee

But I wish you the best

I sincerely do

Me wishing you the best

Won’t do you any good

Of course

But it’s a nice way of ending things

Every day

For as long as I can remember

I’ll say a prayer

That you’re not eaten by something

Or that you don’t die of starvation

Or that you find two nice people

Who adopt you

And love you just as much

As they would love their own child

Even though you probably won’t look
Anything like them

Because you have a very specific look

That few other people would have

I won’t remember to pray for you forever

You can’t expect that of me
But for as long as I can remember
Which isn't very long
But it's something

It's something

You’re not the only one with problems, you know

You’re not the only orphan in the world

You’re not even technically an orphan

Since your father is still alive

He just doesn’t want

Anything to do with you

And frankly

I can’t say I blame him

Since I’ve only known you

For a few minutes

And all you’ve done is cry

Crying won’t get you anywhere

Only running will

And walking

And jogging, I suppose

Better to get tough first

Before you do anything else

Better to steady yourself

And solidify

Try to find strength

Within your despair

It’s your only hope

--That and luck

You’re going to need luck

--And lots of it

I’ll be rooting for you

For as long as I can remember to

After that, well--

You’re on your own