David, or: ben Alexander

Posted on by ben Alexander

In memory of Papa

My first ghazal

I remember his toolboxes, table vice, hand sander
Still remember foul humor, impatience, frank candor

I remember clever math tricks and right-wing politics
And sultry actresses at whom he would gander

I remember him sitting, reading, problem solving
Frustrated, resigned, when his mind would meander

I remember long summers he nannied my daughter
Love all-consuming, warmed bottles he'd hand her

I remember brilliance; I remember his strength, God
Deep in principles anchored; and not one to pander

I remember no bullshit and deep disappointments
Because and regardless no one ever stood grander

I remember young David who worshipped his Papa
None could ever replace him, not one ben Alexander

79 thoughts on “David, or: ben Alexander”

  5. David, if only he could read this, he would be so happy and proud. ❤️
    This…barring the last two stanzas…you could be speaking about my husband!! I hope my son grows up to love us as much!

      1. Now it would be the fourth and the last. My son is too young to make his father a granddad and though he worships his father, I wonder if would continue forever!

        By the way, the ghazal turned out very well.

    1. Thanks so much, Rosemary – as you can see, this was my first. I’ve been experimenting with various forms to see how they lend themselves to my ideas and how they shape their meanings and connotations. It’s been a lot of fun for me 🙂

      Yours,
      David

  11. I remember telling one of my children–you will never be able to repay me, for all the love and sacrifices I made for you, and make for you, but you can respect me, you can honor me. This is what you have done for your Dad and are doing for your Dad–you are honoring him, respecting him, showing your love for him. In doing so, you are giving him a great gift, and gifting us as well. Thank you.

  12. David, your father exemplified many of the qualities my family has always admired. The frank, no-nonsense attitude, problem-solving, the satisfaction of working with your hands, and kind deeds are cherished values I grew up with. I am sure your mother appreciates this beautiful tribute. ❤

      1. My father is still with us, but I lost my grandfather when I was 30. I was deeply pained when I lost my grandfather, it reminded me of losing my father-in-law at the age of 28, and how much loss came from that experience. Eric.

  21. David, this is deeply moving. I am deeply moved. I know you miss your father very much and through your writing, his personality and memory lives on. I am sure your daughter will love reading your loving tributes to her grandfather, when she is older. 💗

  22. A moving recitation of paternal qualities and wrapped in an impressive poetry form! I am now toying with the idea of writing one but doubt anything I write will be as heartfelt as this one!!

    1. Muri, I’ve just been throwing my words against various forms of poetry lately to see what sticks – this one seemed to work particularly well for what I wanted to express 🙂

      Thank you so very much.

      -David

  23. Absolutely moving and divine. Just perfect. Reminds me of someone I know, actually. Brilliant and blunt but at the base of it… deeply warm. Feels like home.

  27. This is so beautiful. These lines stand out to me – they are very telling lines “I remember brilliance; I remember his strength, God”
    I really love your posts!

Leave a Reply

Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s