Thursday, February 01, 2007

Shifting The Sun

Not a day has gone by in the past year that I haven't thought about my father. Today is one year since he died. This week has been especially difficult, knowing the day was approaching. Even more difficult is knowing that I won't be with my brother, to take him in my arms to hug and comfort him; which in turn, comforts me. We will cry through phone lines. Alone while driving in cars. In hotel rooms and kitchens during the wee hours of the morning.

In my mind, he will always be the smiling little boy in this picture and I will always be his big sister, who loves him more than he can ever know. Very similar to how Daddy felt about him; loved more than he can ever know.

(My father and my brother. Circa 1970)

Shifting the Sun
By Diana Der-Hovanessian

When your father dies, say the Irish,
you lose your umbrella against bad weather.
May his sun be your light, say the Armenians

When your father dies, say the Welsh,
you sink a foot deeper into the earth.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the Canadians,
you run out of excuses.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the French,
you become your own father.
May you stand up in his light, say the Armenians.

When you father dies, say the Indians,
he comes back as the thunder.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the Russians,
he takes your childhood with him.
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the English,
you join his club you vowed you wouldn't.
May you inherit his sun, say the Armenians.

When your father dies, say the Armenians,
your sun shifts forever.
And you walk in his light.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

10/29/04, the day my Dad died.
I miss him every single day.

Thanks for the poem, even though it made me cry.

Funny thing, the night he died, there was a terrible thunderstorm. There aren't thunderstorms in Pennsylvania in October, but that night, it was a doozy. Hmm.

Katie McKenna said...

This is beautiful. It made me cry, but that's not a bad thing.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this one!

I missed my father for 2 1/2 years already - every day.

I remember your father and Michael from days gone by, shown in the picture, many, many days gone by.... still, it feels like yesterday.