Oh Dad

OH DAD POEM WRITTEN ON THE TWENTY- SECOND YAHRTZEIT OF MY FATHER 11 Sivan 5769 Oh Dad we are all together again Ma is here and Jakie and Joycie And Bubbe and Zayde Freedman And Bubbe and Zayde Zeibert And Abie and Nate and Loukee and Lakie And Uncle Jack and Reddy and Davy and Molly and Larry We are all together again And we are sitting in the yard on First Street Or maybe in the garden in the back on Centerview Drive We are all alive And most of us are restless And a few deeply depressed And the old people ache and are mostly silent And the children are few And one of them wants to hide And get away from it all. And with all of us alive It’s no longer necessary to regret or grieve Over anyone’s absence Or mourn that you or Ma or Jakie is no longer here. We are all as we were then We are alive And no one is ever going to die And somehow in some magical way I cannot understand But God who made all certainly can You- all these people I love so much Are having in your lives whatever kindness or goodness or love or achievement or blessing, You didn’t have then Which will make you happy now. We are all there All of us Alive Back again And no one has died and no one will ever die And we are happier than we ever were then And all of you will be happy forever. Isn’t it wonderful Dad Not a single one of has a single regret It’s just so much better than it ever was And you Dad are happy and have for once in your life A peace of mind You need not so desperately cry or pray for. Dad oh Dad Ma oh Ma Jakie oh Jakie.