fathers childhood

The Daddy The Dentist

Folder: 
2017

The Daddy, The Dentist

 

The Daddy, the dentist, said,

I’ll just take a look,

The dangling tooth

Slyly in his hand.

A screech and a run

To mommy she cried, He’s done it.

He’s done it, he's done it,

Again.

 

And the time as a child

Of three, dangling, as she did, from the

May pole swing,

Daddy stitched her up

When her tiny hands failed

Like a doll. Like a doll,

He stitched me up like a doll,

Not speaking to him for a week.

 

(humph)

 

The earache at eight

Daddy soothed with warm air

Channeled from his breath.

And the tugboat horn he would

Sound

to keep her from crying,

All night he would repeat,

Till she fell fast asleep.

 

(whooo, whooo)

 

And the worse of it all

When red candy she sought,

She found instead, The Vitamin Bottle,

Sugar coated and tasty,

The tattle-tell brother, the

Trip to the hospital,

They ask you a question, then

Shove water through your nose.

 

(gulp)

 

Don’t you know these are poisonous? Gush

Don’t you know you could die? Swoosh

No, I’m only seven, tell me what is die?

The cracked head

On the nightstand,

A round of murder in the dark

And the fountain of blood

When the light switch is found.

 

The daughter of the dentist

Scars, bumps, bruises and lumps

Born on a Tuesday

Grace seemed to forget.

But Daddy was there

To stitch and to kiss

Except for one little furrow

Right there, between the brow.


Thank God for Daddies.

 




Orginial Version


The Daddy, the dentist, said,

“I’ll just take a look,"

The dangling tooth

in his hand.

A screech and a run

To mommy she cried, “He’s done it.

“He’s done it, he's done it,

 “Again.”

 

And the time as a child

Of three, dangling, as she did, from the

May pole swing,

Daddy stitched her up

When her small hands failed

“Like a doll. Like a doll,

He stitched me up like a doll.”

Not speaking to him for a week.


(hummph)

 

The earache at eight

Daddy soothed with warm air

Channeled from his breath.

And the tugboat horn he would

Sound

to keep her from crying,

All night he would repeat,

Till she fell fast asleep.


(hooo, hooo)

 

And the worse of it all

When red candy she sought,

She found instead, The Vitamin Bottle,

sugar coated and tasty,

The tattle tell brother, the

Trip to the hospital,

They ask you a question, then

shove water through your nose.


(gulp)

 

"Don’t you know these are poisionous?"

"Don’t you know you could die?"

"No, I’m only seven, tell me what is die?"

The cracked head

On the nightstand,

A round of murder in the dark

And the fountain of blood

When the light switch is found.

 

The daughter of the dentist

Scars, bumps, bruises and lumps

Born on a Tuesday

Grace seemed to forget.

But Daddy was there

To stitch and to kiss

Except for one furrow

Right there, between the brow.

 

Thank God for Daddies.

Author's Notes/Comments: 

Happy Father's Day to the Daddy I lost in 1995.  What a sweet man.

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