Welcome to Sunday Poetry.  If this is your first visit you can read about the purpose and inspiration here.    

What’s your part?  Just slow down a little and come along for the read–or sometimes, for the listen. No analysis needed or required. Let the poem sink in and move you wherever it may. If you’d like to tell us what the day’s poem means in your life, or what word or phrase you’ve chosen to reflect on in the coming week, or where those reflections have taken you, we would be honored to have you comment. 

Today is Father’s Day, and so we have a poem about fathers to enjoy.  Not Forgotten by Sheila Packa comes to us from The Writer’s Almanac, and in addition to reading it yourself, you can hear it read by Garrison Keillor if you click on “Listen” just under the date it aired.

The last “father” poem I featured here brought a number of comments on my Facebook page.  It was hard for some of you to read and think about. I think this one will affect you differently.  To fathers everywhere.

I have the greatest admiration for any single mom or dad.  Raising children with two parents is difficult.  Raising children alone?  Anyone doing this deserves all our support.

                                      Take Mama Bird, for instance.

Remember those babies in the boot from my photo last weekend?  Unformed little critters who barely resembled birds?  Now look.  One week later and ready for solid food.  And just as I was feeling sorry for Mama Bird and all the work this single parent had ahead of her. . .

Dads everywhere, take notice.  Even birds understand that children are everybody’s responsibility.  With Father’s Day right around the corner, it’s great to see Daddy Bird earning his title and his keep.  What a role model.