Father and Friendship
My father, he believed in friendship, so
Much so he called his two first sons the names
Of closest, most beloved of friends. Forgo
The family obligations, family claims,
Cut straight to purer love than heirdom’s weight,
A nobler sentiment not charged with hulk
Of fathers and their fathers, not the hate
That builds through generations like a bulk
Of property to be divided. No,
Let free affection, man with man, decide
The present and the future. Let greed go.
Leave generational demands outside.
Remember how you loved them both and love
Them still. Give other loves a gentle shove.
~ Phillip Whidden