Family Ties Revised Poem by Dan Ochs

Family Ties Revised



A redundant story of a broken home
Another typical poem
Mom turned to bitter insanity
Dad was distant everyday of the week
No brothers
No sisters
He was the only black sheep

As father passed judgment, always so cynical
Mother offered consolidation
Dad was always so critical

When he said ‘no’
She said ‘yes’
Shouts conflicting who was right
God tore them apart
Leaving no light

So who did he choose with houses divided?
He chose the one who said ‘Yes’ of course

She was a nurse who self-medicated
To the one who taught him hatred
His story related

Things were good until she noticed similar ties
Ones she would always despise
It wasn’t the boy's fault
It was men she hated
She learned this as a child
And so the story was fated

It was her past that brought feelings so bad
An alcoholic who beat women
Who she he had to call 'dad'

So...

When the boy's father wasn't in her view anymore
The focus became him and there was darkness once more
Things will be better here
Is what she would tell
She turned a promised heaven to hell

How did he cope with the pain
He numbed it with her fathers poison
A demon he would try to tame
And after a while
It was the only way he could take her vicious words
With half a smile

And when she couldn't grow more bitter...

Cancer served the next dinner
A meal she seasoned with hate and marinated in anger
She had nothing to tone down the pain that was in her
So that is what she served to all her guests
Pain
loneliness
anger
simmered a stew of revenge
It boiled over in a mess

Mad at the world and everything in it
For this sh*tty hand she was delt
All of the kings in her life rendered no winning hand
Desperation she felt
This once warm woman
How did she turn so mean?
This cold lady that used to be my queen

Even when things would start to look up
She would tell him stories of prison
Wine turned to water in a cup

The boy had to flee to escape her grip of hurt
In a garden full of flowers
She would find weeds in the dirt

So back to the place he had turned his back to he went
He walked in shame and embarrassment
For picking the wrong house
He wished he could pitch a tent

Criticism and judgement he was back under
Feelings of nervous anxiety awoke
Making it hard to sleep in his slumber
Feeling like a begger he was broke

If only he had a brother to share the burden
Someone to talk to when times were a hurtin'
He might have not felt so alone
Two houses no home

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Bob Gibson 20 June 2008

A sad tale Dan, but some beautiful lines A meal she seasoned with hate and marinated in anger She had nothing to tone down the pain that was in her So that is what she served to all her guests Pain loneliness anger simmered a stew of revenge regards Bob

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Dan Ochs

Dan Ochs

Boulder, CO
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