Half-Empty Picture Frames

Summary

The website content is a personal and poignant poem written by the author to their late father, reflecting on the void left by his absence in various aspects of life.

Abstract

The author of the content expresses a deep sense of loss and the lingering presence of their father's absence in everyday life, from family gatherings to significant life events. The poem touches on the emotional void felt during moments that would typically include a father's participation, such as family photographs, the author's impending marriage, and the birth of grandchildren. The author also acknowledges the support of Dancing Elephants Press in providing a space for sharing such personal expressions. Additionally, the author encourages readers to listen to a song by Divya Goswami, which resonates with the theme of creation and the essence of the master painter, further emphasizing the impact of art in processing grief and celebrating life.

Opinions

The author feels a profound sense of loss and incompleteness due to the father's absence.
The poem reflects a mix of personal memories and the universal experience of mourning.
The use of humor, as seen in the phrase "Daddy dearest, my dirty old man," illustrates a cherished inside joke, adding a layer of intimacy to the poem.
The author appreciates the supportive community provided by Dancing Elephants Press, highlighting its role in encouraging personal expression.
The author endorses a song by Divya Goswami, suggesting that it captures the spirit of creativity and the impact of art in dealing with loss.

For my father

Photo Credit: Christina Daniels

I miss you in the vacuum that was once you. In the stillness of a cemetery afternoon.

In the dinner table, with an empty seat. In family photographs, now incomplete.

In my husband-to-be, In the grandchildren you did not see.

In the deficits of love, half-filled. In success, made hollow in your absence.

In mammas who aren’t papas. In fathers and daughters strolling hand-in-hand.

Daddy dearest, my dirty old man, Always with me, still not here…

I wrote this poem to my father many years after his passing. I was very young when he died. People sometimes ask me about the second last line. That was an old joke between my father and me. Some years before his passing, I had used that phrase in jest once, and it stuck. It always made him laugh. Understanding that history helps you see the poem in its entirety.

Thank you Dancing Elephants Press for your deeply positive space, where one feels encouraged to share.

And you may enjoy this beautiful song for the master painter from Dancing Elephants Press poet Divya Goswami today, which reminded me of the essence of creation.

Half-Empty Picture Frames

For my father

Tune Me…In My Own Essence

A song for the master painter