Happy Birthday Dad
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 02:11PM 
more about my dad and the dome over here...Child Development
by Billy Collins
As sure as prehistoric fish grew legs
and sauntered off the beaches into forests
working up some irregular verbs for their
first conversation, so three-year-old children
enter the phase of name-calling.
Every day a new one arrives and is added
to the repertoire. You Dumb Goopyhead,
You Big Sewerface, You Poop-on-the-Floor
(a kind of Navaho ring to that one)
they yell from knee level, their little mugs
flushed with challenge.
Nothing Samuel Johnson would bother tossing out
in a pub, but then the toddlers are not trying
to devastate some fatuous Enlightenment hack.
They are just tormenting their fellow squirts
or going after the attention of the giants
way up there with their cocktails and bad breath
talking baritone nonsense to other giants,
waiting to call them names after thanking
them for the lovely party and hearing the door close.
The mature save their hothead invective
for things: an errant hammer, tire chains,
or receding trains missed by seconds,
though they know in their adult hearts,
even as they threaten to banish Timmy to bed
for his appalling behavior,
that their bosses are Big Fatty Stupids,
their wives are Dopey Dopeheads
and that they themselves are Mr. Sillypants.
Billy Collins
Reader Comments (5)
Perfect timing can be such a gift. Today is the 13th anniversary of my dad's death. I was just thinking of that, and of him and his life and the funy things he used to say and the most important advice he ever gave me. So I was missing him and loving him, and I checked in on your blog and found this lovely poem by one of my favorite poets. Thank you.
It sort of kills me that I've never heard of Billy Collins. But now I have, so it will all be different.
Thank you, Heather!
I love your original story. Your parents were indeed brave! We live in a Futuro house and I often wonder what memories my children will have of our adventures living in 2 round houses. Feel free to pop over to our place and have a look www.outofthisworldnz.blogspot.com
Kindest Regards
Jacqui
Beautiful! Happy birthday to your dad and Happy Holidays to you and your family.
I remember writing poems as a kid, even when I got older. As I was reading this, I remember my dad. You must have loved your dad very much.