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The Back of Dad's Chair

The back of Dad's chair is black like a void, its mid discontinuous of solid support. Cushion coils creak as his weight shifts, his interest unhinged from light hypnosis. The scuff of rough wheels rub fine lines in encumbering crumb-crusted floorboards, which mundanely sustain the weight of a burdened waistline and wasted years. He forfeits the fortunes of a father: favor and honor, as points tabulate and clock ticks wick up the last of my sapped up, tapped out tears. His glowing, giddy face is unfazed, too focused on fantasies to notice me. Dad's back trespasses my passive stares, his incessant inattentiveness ingrained like the prison-bar stripes on the back of his chair. 10/5/2022

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Brian Sambourne

Date: 1/9/2023 6:47:00 PM

A most moving, image rich view of fatherhood, Juliet, yours + so many countless others. Remarkably apt word choice like "...the weight of a burdened waistline" or "his glowing, giddy face is unfazed" capture a father's girth + visage with poetic precision. Your final 3 lines convey the prison of an aloof father, lost to a wanting child. Congratulations! Brian

Sara Kendrick

Date: 12/25/2022 3:20:00 AM

Sad line, "his incessant inattentiveness ingrained". This is so true of many men with their children who suffer from this one thing for the rest of their lives. Thanks for sharing and for dropping by my page. Sara

S.Zaynab Kamoonpuri

Date: 11/25/2022 8:15:00 AM

A superb poem on dad and his chair well depicted in fine poetic terms. Kudos!! ^^^^^^^>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<^^^^^^^^^^^^ plz also read and comment my newest poem too

Evelyn Judy Buehler

Date: 10/25/2022 4:31:00 PM

Feelings of isolation and alienation are so well conveyed in this poignant, moving verse. Great writing, Juliet. Evelyn

Gary Radice

Date: 10/13/2022 12:08:00 PM

Wonderful write Juliet! Sad, poignant but wonderful.The title is so apt for the words that follow. You mention the word 'weigh' twice and I'm wondering if you meant to write the word 'weight' but it doesn't matter even if you did..(and as of my 3rd read I don't think you did)..it just flows wonderfully. The last 3 lines are beautifully constructed. Cheers - Gary

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/14/2022 8:35:00 AM

Thanks for your kind comments and for noticing my spelling error. It was supposed to be "weight." I will be back later to check out your poetry.

Sara Kendrick

Date: 10/12/2022 10:22:00 AM

Congratulations on your winning work. Way to go. Yes, some fathers were not intended to be fathers while others are just what God intended a father to be. Sara

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/14/2022 7:38:00 PM

Thanks, Sara. I pray that God will work through them both so that they can have a better relationship and be a blessing to one another. Hopefully she will learn love and respect and he will learn sacrifice.

Sam Kauffman

Date: 10/12/2022 9:57:00 AM

Congratulations on your win Juliet. You have woven your sadness so masterfully into the picture of your father who has lost so much by his inability to show you the love of a father. It is a poem that illustrates the isolation of both parent and child from the joys and blessings of a loving relationship. Well spoken my friend. Sending you blessings on wings of comfort.

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/14/2022 7:34:00 PM

Thanks for your encouragement, Sam. This one was actually inspired by my husband, not my father. I was viewing it through my daughter's eyes. I feel the same pain and isolation, though.

Michelle Faulkner

Date: 10/7/2022 8:56:00 PM

This feels like the perspective of a young child looking up at her daddy's chair and wanting his attention, and the lonliness in the lines 'he forfeits the fortunes of a father, favor and honor' - my own relationship with my father is distant so I relate to this all too well~

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/8/2022 2:06:00 PM

Thanks for your comments, Michelle. Sorry about your relationship with your father. Thankfully my dad was around before computers, but neglect comes in many forms. I wonder if I should have put something like "he forfeits the foundation of a relationship." Those pivotal years can never be relived.

Deb M

Date: 10/6/2022 4:07:00 AM

Beautifully written but tinged with such sadness Juliet! Debx

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/8/2022 1:51:00 PM

Thanks, Deb. I appreciate it.

Jeff Kyser

Date: 10/5/2022 7:56:00 PM

Whether he is honorable or not, you honor him, and that is highly commendable. Some would call it agape love

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/8/2022 1:50:00 PM

So true, we are commanded honor our parents. Her sinful nature reacts to his reluctance to take on his responsibility. I read an interesting book once that stated that the way children view their earthly father is the way they will view their heavenly Father. For those whose Father is absent or uninvolved, many will become atheists or antagonistic toward God, sadly.

Kim Rodrigues

Date: 10/5/2022 7:37:00 PM

A very sad write. He forfeits the fortunes of a father: favor and honor

Juliet Ligon
Date: 10/8/2022 1:42:00 PM

Thanks for your comments, Kim. It's so sad when fathers don't want to be there for their children. The consequences can be devastating for all.