The Couch

You hadn't seen your father in such a long time

He died in the arms of his lover how dare he

Your mother never left the house

She never married anyone else you took it upon yourself to console her

You reminded her so much of your father

So you were banished and you wonder why you're so hypersensitive

And why you can't trust anyone but us but then how can I begin

To forgive her so many years under bridges with dirty water

She was foolish and selfish and cowardly if you ask me

I don't know where to begin in all of my 50 odd years

I have been silently suffering and adapting perpetuating and enduring

Who are you younger generation to tell me

That I have unresolved problems not many examples of fruits

Of this type of excruciating labor

How can you just throw words around like grieve and heal and mourn

I feel fine we may not have been born as awake as you were

It was much harder in those days we had paper routes uphill both ways

We went from school to a job to a wife to instant parenthood

I walked into his office I felt so self-conscious on the couch

He was sitting down across from me he was writing down

His hypothesis I don't know I've got a loving supportive wife

Who doesn't know how involved she should get

You say his interjecting was him just calling me on my sh*t

Just the other day my sweet daughter I was driving past 203

I walked up the stairs in my mind's eye

I remember how they would creak loudly

She was only responsive with a drink he was only responsive by photo

I was only trying to be the best big brother I could

I've walked sometimes confused sometimes ready to crack open wide

Sometimes indignant sometimes raw can you imagine

I pay him 75 dollars an hour sometimes it feels like highway robbery

And sometimes it's peanuts I wish it could last a couple more hours

So here we both are battling similar demons not coincidentally

You seen getting beyond knowing it solely intellectually

You're not relinquishing your majesty

You are wise you are warm you are courageous you are big

And I love you more now than I ever have in my whole life