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Father For
James Cunningham Sargent on his
80th Birthday - February 26, 1996 by
Felicity Blundon Father,
You
have always been there Strong
and reassuring. A firm,
warm handhold When as
a child in the dim past We
would go together, you and I To Following the
rippling, rural road south Into deep,
sweet-smelling countryside. And, there, while
you at podium stood, I was a quiet
artist, Crayoning colorbook masterpieces In the back corner
of the room. "Father" conjures up images
of rowing together Across our
glimmering lake. Of a great white
tent flapping In a Or a still, blue
one at midnight in As bears roamed
about And Daddy saved the
day With blaring horn
and blinding headlight. Father, You rolled up your
jeans And gamely boarded
a sinking craft. An ambitious
fisherman, Drifting about a
glacial lake In a summer
snowstorm. I can see you there
still, elf-like In your red hooded
sweatshirt While your children
lurked in the shadows with pack horses Anticipating
freshly caught trout Sizzling over camp
fire. Father: I recall the
slapping of waves Against stone steps
off the pier And the light
glinting off rosy palazzos As we waited for
our dear father. And then all of a
sudden, We could see him, Healing over the vaporetto gunnell Waving jubilantly. We were together
again. Complete For a time and for
ever. And at nightfall
that same July day, We boarded a
gondola And
guided by jaunty gondolier Skimmed
through a maze of canals To the
strains of guitar and harmonica Resounding
off steep, stone walls. A
moment frozen in time. Father,
How
about taking tea with me in But how
to get there? Perhaps
we'll walk or hitch a ride. Father,
in boater hat and papillon, Reclining
'neath hedgerow Inhaling
deeply of the English spring While
young Oxfordians Hailed a ride. Father, Do you remember The sudden madcap
desire To join the dance
one night? Off to The Plaza we
then raced Concealing
cloaks in stairwell Before
parading grandly into The Grand Ballroom Just in
time for the midnight waltz Father,
Such
times, though distant, are palpable and
enduring. But you
are forever strong and tall, In our
hearts and minds - A
constant in our lives. Your
spirited way of life, Your
great vitality are Theme
and credo for us all, Assembled
here to honor you And give thanks for
this rich legacy That is so dearly
ours. And for the myriad
gifts Our father has
given us Over time. Dona Nobis Pacem |