16 November 2007

Weekend Dad

What hurts most is that I was the every day dad.
Then the wishy-washy testimony of an 11-year old
settles it for the judge, and then
I am relegated to 46 hours twice a month
unless their mother
gets busy,
and then I'm the parent
who drops everything
to make life easier
for people who don't give a fuck.
My children do; don't get me wrong.
Still somehow, in someone's eyes,
I am the lesser parent.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have many friends in this situation. What unbearable pain. I was 8 when my own parents went their separate ways. Deep grief for everyone involved.

Kenneth Swanson said...

It's been 2+ since the custody battle finished, and it still hurts like yesterday. Soon my son will be old enough just to decide on a whim, and I can't be sure that's good or bad. I want him and his sister to be with me again, and having them attend the high school where I teach would be a blessing. I enjoyed the years that I went to school where my father taught, and I'd like my children to have a similar experience.