HARVEY

HARVEY

Harvey was just a boy in the 'Roaring Twenties"
When his family split apart
Making him seem different in his time
Short and slight and the youngest child
As a target for bullies, he was prime

So he learned to survive as best he could
With a tough and obnoxious shell
He lived with his mother, then his dad
And then with an uncle as well


He felt he was an unwanted child
A terrible nuisance at home

Bounced about and abused in countless ways
'Til at twelve he was left on his own

He drifted about from place to place
Searching for his call
Then he found a friend to ease his pain
Its name was alcohol

At first with this friend he was happy
He was brave and knew no fright
It became a game to clear out the bars
He was a scrapper who loved a good fight

Then one day he met a woman
With problems of her own
Her husband committed bigamy
She was raising four children, all alone

He found someone to care for him
In this woman they called Lin
It was a mutual attraction
Soon they shared their life of sin

For years they drank together
Enjoying a common friend
Abusing and neglecting the children
Causing problems without end

Five children were born from this union
But the last one died at birth
And Lin repented of her erring ways
She wanted a life of worth

Then her eyes were opened
And she could plainly see
Though alcohol seemed to be a friend
It was really an enemy

She gave up all her drinking
Banning liquor from their place
But Harvey's faith was not so strong
His reality he could not face

At times he would stay sober
'Til the memories started to come
He couldn't bear to face the truth
Or admit to the things he'd done

So he pushed and drove all love away
Until again he was on his own
There was only one friend he would let inside
The bottle became his home

Through the years his children tried to help him
But their families he would abuse
Eventually they all avoided him
For when drunk, he was very bad news

He drifted about as a loner
Craving love almost as much as booze
He was growing old but still causing fights
Only then he was starting to lose

At seventy-three his heart gave out
He drifted into the dark unknown
Then he called on the name he'd often cursed
"Jesus, help! Don't leave me alone."

The Lord heard his feeble cry of fear
As the doctors jump-started his heart
He granted him yet another year
And with his daughters, a brand new start

One of them took him into her home
And discovered his sentimental side
For sober and sick, without his friend
He had nowhere to hide

For months they grew to know him
Without a drop of liquor to drink
But as he began to feel better
He also started to think

He saw how his life he had wasted
By pushing his loved ones aside
Now, he wouldn't become a burden
As long as he still had some pride

He didn't want their pity
And he thought he had pushed them too far
So haunted by memories and familiar guilt
He headed for the local bar

There he found his old friend waiting
In its warm and welcoming disguise
He had no way of knowing
This time it would cause his demise

As we looked at his frail, lifeless body
All the scars and broken bones he'd acquired
We knew no one could judge him harder
He received all the punishment he desired

As only two of us stood by his coffin
We had no peace from above
Did he reject the second chance he was given
The same way he rejected our love?

We couldn't really blame all the others
For not even bothering to show
He'd pushed them away so often
And his good side they never did know

But my mind goes back to my childhood
Before his drinking got worse
He was the one who encouraged me
To write down my feelings in verse

So his life did account for something
My memories of him aren't all bad
And I pray the Lord shows his soul mercy
For Harvey was really my dad

 

 

(c)Ellen hammond

Reviews

[Francez]

Wow, I'm lost for words. The story is so vivid and full of imagery that I could picture the events easily. I usually don't like poems that are too long, but this is an exception. You know how to capture the attention of your reader very well. Good job!

[Mark]

This is so difficult for me to read, and then to affect some sort of clear judgment about, as, you see, I too had a drunk for a father. It took a long time, but I finally forgave him, as I realized he was only being the best "HE" he knew how to be, given the way he was raised; the same for Harvey, I expect.
And that, I perceive, is the root message of "Harvey": to bear not the hate, vitriol and angers of the past into the now. They can't hurt anyone but ourselves any longer. He tried, but he couldn't do it--his self-loathing was too strong! Let us then be stronger, and love and forgive them while they are yet alive, lest we acquire and share THEIR pain...and their FATHERS'...and so forth...with our children, thus accomplishing nothing but creating yet another generation of self-haters!

[Sean Allen]

No matter what, our parents are special to us and I am so glad I stopped by tonight to read this beautiful story Ellen. Could there be any doubt that the Lord would show him mercy? I don't think so.
I often listen to this song at night before i go to bed, it is my favorite Neil Diamond song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91KdaNNxV4w

[Anita B Jacques]

Oh Ellen, so sad, the poor Soul was your Dad, I understand, you couldn't stop loving him, he was your Dad,
He did the best he could with what he had. We don't choose to love, as we do, it's inside of us, imperfect
as they are, we hurt when they hurt, we would take it all if we could. I'm sharing your pain my friend, I know and understand. Thank you for sharing with me. God Bless
Your friend
Hug.... Annie