The True Story of My Father
The True Story of My Father
Original Text
Carmine Starnino. The New World. Montreal: Véhicule Press, 1997.
1There were days when I'd catch him
2alone at the kitchen table, lost
3inside some regret, his head
4cradled in his hands like the part
5of his life that was over, that had
6stopped some time ago. A cigarette
7smoldered beside him, its smoke
8rising from the ashtray like a long
9held breath, slowly released.
10I would like to say that my mother
11went to him then, leaned over to
12whisper his name in his ear,
13and he jerked up, a little startled,
14staring around the room in unrecognition,
15having been called back too quickly
16into his life, and looked up
17at my mother who smiled, running
18her long fingers through his hair,
19slipping them into its dark glistening.
20I would like this, finally, to be
21a story of love. But the truth is
22my father was an unhappy man,
23his head was heavy, and sometimes
24he rested it in his hands.
RPO poem Editors
Jim Johnstone
RPO Edition
2013
Special Copyright
Poem used with permission of the author.