July 19: U. P. Poet Laureate, Russell Thorburn, "Apology to My Father"

 Tonight, I'm giving you a poem from the newly crowned U. P. Poet Laureate, Russell Thorburn.  It's a poem from his collection Approximate Desire.

I've known Russ for many years, and he's a fearless writer.  He's taught poetry to prison inmates.  He's taught poetry to school children.  The poem below mines the pain of father/son relationships.  Stitched with heartbreak and beauty, his work leaves the reader both bruised and comforted.

Saint Marty hopes you enjoy...

Apology to My Father

I wear this faded brown mitt,
snap one back to my son
in this dialogue of fastballs,
this brilliant blue sky
losing something more than what
is gained, as I remember telling
my father I hated baseball,
who threw a lob that held angels up
as it shadowed me, the catcher,
waiting for his sad face
to fall:  "Look, I have made mistakes."

I set my arm
and become the eternal son,
all stone and ancient,
who zips one into the calm smell
of spring, hearing his own father
like so many zither strings
pluck the melody from the air.
His eyes become patient,
looking back into my eyes
as if it didn't matter
how much we broke each other's heart.