The Lesson of Our Puddles

Oceans are formed from 
the dropping of our tears.
and in it we must all drown,
knowing only the cold 
and the slow drifting
away of our flesh.

We watch our fathers  
live extraordinary lives
but die ordinary deaths.

It sinks our hearts down
in the gush of a thousand
memories past and 
memories to be named,

into expectations 
of what was and
was suppose to be,
all the “if onlys…”
of our sadness

until we hate him for it,
creating new deserts 
with every gasp
until we are alone
and stranded 
on our own oasis—

with our tears streaming 
down our faces and
in puddles at our feet,
shouting in pretense
that our feet are bone dry,
warm and comfortable—

kicking and dancing in 
that holiest of puddles
until each droplet 
raises off the ground 
and touches our skin,
moves across our bodies—
and we are oh so so 
grateful for its touch

and the life lesson that 
father was teaching 
us how to die all along.