The Boy Inside (for Pete Morwick)

[Dude A Bydes]

In every father lives a son--within all men, such boys reside.

We age, we silence them, their mischief; but acknowledge how their wishes still preside.

If growing older makes men wiser—if fatherhood makes us fathers act our age,

Then why would God give dads reminders of their youth, their passion… their rage?

Sons are meant to teach their fathers, just as fathers know that they must teach their boys.

Life is not all retrospection, bereft of pleasures—void of joys.

I celebrate my song of senses, my boyhood ballad sung so sweet.

I celebrate that boy inside me—my second self… my son… my Pete.

[Gita]

Anything I could say would be trite. Love the photo. The T-shirt, not so much. 

Take care.

[Dude A Bydes]

Only someone who has experienced the shock and the unanswered questions of such a loss can know these depths. Thank God I have this outlet for my pain. Thank God for all my 6S friends tonight... tonight.-Dude

[Teresa]

Through tears all I can say is that I love your t-shirt.  Ugh.  There are too many dumb platitudes about being lucky to have had such a connection and all that.  We can only return to personal memories of loss  to almost understand another person's grief.  But no one can step inside another person's pain.  It's its own planet, no sky.  Your words make it feel universal.  Again, lovely.