You gave me this, Pa:
This burning fire unquenchable
This hopefulness improbable
These ramrod blinds unbendable
Your gifts to your eldest son:
Absence ineffable
Erasure irredeemable
Disappointment inconsolable
Should I thank you?
Can whispered grace amend these hurts?
Or does sin purge all goodness?
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." – Annie Dillard