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Thursday 29 December 2011

Sam

He was always at sixes and sevens.
"Awkward sod," said his father.
"Worse than the cat for getting
under yer feet!" - Well,
that was his mum.
It made me wonder: did anyone
bat on his side?

"Don't get it from me, that's a fact!"
(And that was his Dad.)
"I don't have bother with words!
Never did have!" All true.
They were all lined up at the ready -
ready for picking on Sam:
"Ham-fisted, cack-handed bugger,
no son of mine. Left-handed, see. Evil -
don't forget evil, not when you're
pointing your finger at me! Mark
of the devil, that is.
And none of my doing!"

For "evil" and "awkward" read eyes
and the limbs not fully in synch.

A difficult birth; some damage was done.

"Why can't you let him just do his drawing?
Stick him somewhere out of your way.
Paper and crayons, he's happy for hours!"
There was no going back after that.
What had been between them was gone.
Sam abhored drawing,
so how could his dad
imagine he loved it? Sam was distraught
and outraged, convinced
that his father knew nothing of him.

11 comments:

Mary said...

Dave, it is so very sad when a child doesn't feel his father knows him at all!

Maude Lynn said...

This is so sad!

The Weaver of Grass said...

This is a poem Dave which could only have been written by someone who has spent years with children of 'so called' less ability. I wish you could have seen the young lady with Downs I saw in Tesco today, going round with her shopping list and doing her own shopping. At the check out I stood behind the couple who turned out to be her parents. When she arrived at the queue they asked her if she had got everything on her list. She gave them a scathing look and said, 'of course'!

Ygraine said...

Don't you just long to hug him?
Such a poignant tale that truly touches the heart :)

Windsmoke. said...

Being different can be hurtful in more ways than one :-(.

Rose said...

So sad that Sam actually cherished 'what had been between them..' which was not much but a bond nonetheless!
Brilliant write.

Tabor said...

And perhaps Sam will go on to find his way in the world in spite of being raised by dolts.

Friko said...

Poor sod, I'm sure you caught it just right.
Even now we don't really want to look and understand, accept, and just plain love, whatever.

Brian Miller said...

ugh man, i dont ever want my boys to feel like that....i know a sam or too though...

The Unknowngnome said...

Sam was correct in his thinking.

Verbal abuse cuts as deep as physical, both leave an invisible scar.

jabblog said...

So sad - poor Sam.