Poetry by Dad

A tribute to the silliness of my dear dad

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

My dad was hilarious. A true genius, yet grounded and down-to-earth. He was a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy and spent much of my childhood at sea.

When he came home, it was like Christmas morning. Yes, he often brought souvenirs, but that wasn’t it.

It was the bright excitement of possibility: of being near the person who felt like the most special person in the world. Of delight in the silliness and laughter that would soon be mine to soak in again.

My happiest childhood memories were from when Dad was home. He was always busy and creative: building with his hands, sailing, sketching, macramé… but most of all, he loved to laugh.

He made fun of life and taught me to do the same. Humor became my refuge when life got cruel. If I could find the funny, I could survive it; even better, if I could tell the story like a stand-up comic.

When he died, I lost that magic. The laughter disappeared. And for a long time, so did I.

But through all the grief and the slow climb back, I can say this:
I’m finally laughing again. And I swear, I can hear his chuckle in my ear.

In that spirit, here are some of the silly things he used to say when I was little that stick with me to this day. They’re not brilliant, but when speaking to a child you don’t have to be, you just have to be you.

Beans, beans
A musical fruit
The more you eat
The more you toot
The more you toot
The better you feel
So, I eat beans for every meal

When you're with your honey
And her nose is runny
You may think it's funny
But it'(s)not

Author's Note:
These aren’t my original poems; they were my first poems. My first taste of rhyme, of humor, of laughter that stays with you long after the sound fades.
I don’t know if Dad made them up or adopted them as his own, but they became part of him... and part of me.

My dad was a card. He could make me laugh and groan at the same time, often in the same breath.

For my tribute to him this year, I wrote Dather’s Fay to try and capture a sliver of his silly, unforgettable spirit.

For more about the man behind these lines and the acceptance he gave me, read A Father’s Gifts. — Liora
voice through fire | www.liorawrites.com

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