For My Dad

[NeedToWrite]

Catching Raindrops

One day on a quiet street, on the front steps of a small house, there stood a young boy sticking his tongue out…catching raindrops.

“What are you doing boy?” Came a voice from behind him.

As the boy turned around he replied, “Dad, why can’t it rain juice?”

The man, thinking of evaporation and condensation and all the workings of rain, paused for a moment, then simply said, “I wouldn’t be so sure that it can’t boy.”

***

As time went by the boy grew older…

And so did the man.

***

The man came home one day to see his son covered in pieces of paper, tape, and cardboard, flapping his arms as he ran across the lawn. Smiling, the man asked, “What are you doing boy?”

Somewhat startled, the boy turned to the man and said, “Dad, how come people can’t fly?”

The man, first thinking of gravity, velocity, aerodynamics, and all the workings of such a thing paused for a moment and simply said, “I’m not so sure that they can’t…spread your wings, boy, and try….”

***

Many more years had passed and the boy was soon a young man…as the man grew older yet.

***

As the man walked down the hall he could hear music and banging and singing from behind a bedroom door. As he opened the door he saw a handsome young man standing there, gripping a microphone, wide-eyed and beautiful.

“What are you doing boy?” said the man.

“Dad, today at school we talked about futures.” Said the boy. “Everyone says I have to decide. But I don’t want to do anything. I want to do everything. I want to climb mountains. I want to sing and dance. I want to build tall buildings and I want to travel. I want to do everything, dad. Why must I decide?”

Then the man, first thinking of direction, of focus and of goals, paused a moment and simply said, “You go boy. You go do it all. With all of your heart boy, go do it all.”

***

In time the young man became a man, and the man was soon a very old man.

The young man climbed his mountains, chased his dreams, and one day had a family of his own with his own boy. He was happy.

But as the man became an old man he became very sick with time. One day the phone rang in the house of the young man, because his fathers days were numbered.

So he went to visit the old man.

***

“It is so very good to see you boy!” Said the old man. “I fear I don’t have much time left in this world. I wonder why it is that I must go? I wonder why it is that I must die?”

Then his boy, thinking first of grief and loss and sorrow, paused a moment, and simply said, “You are not dying father. For every time I feel the raindrops upon me, I will feel you. And every time I hear a bird sing, I will hear your voice. And every time I look into the eyes of my child, I will know that you are with me. You are not going father. You are not dying.”

Then later that evening, quietly and peacefully,

the old man passed away.

The man was very sad.

***

The very next day the man was walking through his house and looking at all the empty spaces where his father once was. Listening to the echo of his father’s voice, and remembering the wonderful times that once were.

And the man was very, very sad.

Just then he began to hear the pitter patter of rain as it fell against the window. Moving through the room the man walked to the front door. Then as he looked out of it, it was there he saw a young boy standing with his tongue sticking out…catching raindrops.

The man looked up to the sky, then back to the boy.

And the man then smiled broadly and said, “What are you doing boy?”

©2005 by WJD ~ All rights reserved

[babybrat07]

That is really good. I really really like that. You are a wonderful writer keep up the good work.

[STARKISS]

Hi Needtowrite,

What a wonderful peom you have shared with us, I really enjoyed reading it. I love when people share peoms with us because it is such a different way to show how special our loved ones were.... Take care and God Bless you Shelley

[Chai]

NeedToWrite, I also like to write stories, and I really, really enjoyed yours! It is inspiring to see someone using their 'need to write' to put down their emotions in grief. Thank you for sharing.