The Science of Fatherhood

His dad always told him “You can do anything Be anything” And he believed him Some days he was a Dancer Director Dentist Or even a Dinosaur But never was he a doctor. He had seen The worn lines etched Across his father’s face Too many times Memorized the swells Under the man’s eyes Too closely Sensed the intensity Of his father’s agony Frustration Pain After a patient’s Death Too deeply. He understood science Biology, chemistry, physics But never would he be able To grasp the science Of knowing someone’s Death is inevitable. “You can be a doctor” His father told him “You have everything You’d need” His father never understood The science of a boy Who just wanted his father At home.