Right Tool
Right Tool
My dad always told me, the right tool for the right job, but all he ever had around were a few screwdrivers, so he ended up using the telephone a lot.
Run Proud
He taught me to run high on my toes. I will always remember his words: run proud & remember you are alive.
Riding the Pony
When I was younger, my favorite thing was riding the pony outside the Safeway. My dad always said I should save my money for something better, but I could ride for miles all over the West & always end up back at the Safeway & all it cost was a quarter & I still can’t think of anything better than that.
Respect for Danger
If this ever gets off the ground, he said, it’ll probably be really dangerous & maybe I’ll finally get the respect I deserve
Riding Home
You may not remember the time you let me go first. Or the time you dropped back to tell me it wasn’t that far to go. Or the time you waited at the crossroads for me to catch up. You may not remember any of those, but I do & this is what I have to say to you: today, no matter what it takes, we ride home together.
Real Hero (masc)
Anyone can slay a dragon, he told me, but try waking up every morning & loving the world all over again. That’s what takes a real hero.
No Regret
I sometimes wake in the early morning
& listen to the soft breathing
of my children & I think to myself,
this is one thing I will never regret
& I carry that quiet with me all day long.
Laughter & Noise
There are lives I can imagine without children but none of them have the same laughter & noise.
Invention
I always wanted to invent something that would move around & make funny noises & would change the world as we know it & I forgot all about that until we had kids & now I see I came pretty close.
Hot Dogs
My father used to carry a briefcase when he went to work every day before we left for school.
Now, he stays at home & cooks us hot dogs for breakfast.
Hindsight (father)
I didn’t listen to him because he was my father
& wouldn’t know anything until I was much older.
His Laughter
The first time his laughter
unfurled its wings in the wind,
we knew that the world
would never be the same.
Hidden Twin
He was always a twin but he kept the other one hidden under his Stetson to protect her from the sun & the wind & the stares of startled people.
High Places
He carried a ladder almost everywhere he went
& after awhile people left all the high places to him.
Hate to Mow
He told me once that he never planned to settle down. It’s not that I’m afraid of commitment, he said, I just hate to mow.
Greed
I was greedier when I was younger, he said to me, because I was stronger & could lift more.
Good Trick
this is a special balancing trick that requires a small child to stay completely still
(so it’s still only theoretical)
First Thing
He tried hard to tell the truth but it wasn’t always that obvious, so usually he just said the first thing that came to mind.
Enough Time (Masculine)
Everything changed the day he figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in his life.
Early Life
I try & get a lot of living in early in the morning before everyone else gets up, because after that, it doesn’t seem so much like living as it does putting up with stuff.