My Son's Keeper

My son how I love him.

                                                Little Tate and I

I am my life's sole keeper

in the garden of my dreams

Within it dwell the great hopes

along with all my schemes

 

Why for me only the hard way

has taught my mind since youth

Does it seem could be no other

than a fact and cold hard truth

 

I chose the road that I tread

from my bold disdaining action

I would never listen to another

except to my own satisfaction

 

Lucky that he knows me not

for my sadness hides regret

As they who think to know me

know less the nearer they get

 

My son how I do love him

touching most his dreams within

But all I want for his heart

is to not go where I've been

Author's Note

How often we look back on the road that wound through our lives? Only to find it would have been much better if we had taken the easy way. But perhaps some of us are destined to blaze trails yet unknown. It was so with me. And yet I can't but think how much I wish something different for my own son. None of us wish our children to hurt others .Nor do we want to see them in pain.

Reviews

[The Old Ashes]

O.K.
so I try not to completely shower the writer with praise
when I write a review
but oh my god..
I'm such a crybaby lol I'm welling up.
That picture for starters
just looking at it
while reading this
but the way you ended it..
oh my goodness.
I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff. My favorite song is With Arms Wide Open by Creed...
the power of a parents love for a child.
Wowzers.
in short
I loved it
:) You're an amazing writer
They say that in order to write well,
you must write about what you know.
What you're familiar with.
This is a spectacular piece coming from an emotion you know well.
Pity this thing won't let me rate over 100.
You'd have a 110/100

[Aradie Rain]

We all hate to see our children follow the wrong paths like we did. We can try as we might to push them one way, but they tend to follow us in the end. Antoher great piece
~Aradie

[Salvatore Buttaci]

Ok, let's look at this poem in the correct punctuation. If you see parentheses, it means I am making a suggestion. The poem itself is very well written.
___________________

I am my (life's) sole keeper
In the garden of my dreams.
Within it dwell the great hopes,
along with all my schemes.

Why for me only the hard way
has taught my mind since youth?
Does it seem (it) could be no other
than fact and cold hard truth?

I chose the road that I tread
from my bold disdaining action.
I would never listen to another
except to my own satisfaction.

Lucky that he knows me not,
For my sadness hides regret,
As they who think (they instead of to) know me,
Know less the nearer they get. (Know less though near they get) As it is, the rhythm is off.

My son? How I do love him?
(By) pleasing most his dreams within.
But all I want for his heart
is to not go where I've been.

Tate

[Ebb and Flow]

You have such a way with words that I do so envy.
"Lucky that he knows me not;
For my sadness hides regret.
As they who think to know me;
Know less the nearer they get."
I can feel the sadness and the regret as I read these lines. The emotion you evoke in your writing can be felt and these are the most powerful works.

Krys

[Bhavya Kaushik]

Oh my..This was so beautiful and heart touching.
I do not exactly how or why, but this poem reminded me of my dad and the times which we both shared..The time which was dominated mostly by our conflicts and fights.
I will try to call him today...Thanks a lot for sharing this...Thank you...

[Tracie Skarbo]

Why for me only the hard way;
has taught my mind since youth?
Does it seem could be no other;
than fact and cold hard truth.

I love this stanza because in most of my life I have been exactly the same way...always taking the hard road as though I had something to prove. I hope now I have wizened some, and softened some. :) I love the photo of the two of you. He is absolutely amazing...I can tell how proud you are of him, it is written all over your face! Excellent write...going into my favs.

[Brianna Brie]

Oh, isn't it true? With the benefit of our lives experience, we wish for our children to avoid the pitfalls we took. Yet, the cycle usually continues of willful youth thinking they know all there is to know. Your writings touch on subjects not seen as often at the WC. This is a good thing as they are all points of interest to our own humanity. Well done!

[Sean M. Addams]

i liked this piece alot very heartfelt and deep .... overall i thought you did a great job on this... nice job!!

[Marie Anzalone]

Many of us, I think, would spare our children the agony that we went through in becoming ourselves. Pass on the words of wisdom, have them learn from our mistakes. Yet I wonder if the grit that kept us going when times were at their darkest is going to be needed more than ever in our children's generation? You can only get so much from stories, when our children get bombarded with images and conflicting messages almost form the day they are born.

This was a very wonderful introspective write. You speak of doing things the hard way, and learning that you are your own keeper- no-one else holds those reins. I would pass that wisdom on to any child.

[Nautili]

Really beautiful, I hope your son learns someday how much you truly love him.....i like how you titled it, "My son's keeper" and then starting it out saying you are your own sole keeper in the garden of your dreams ......but in reality your heart will always want to be a caretaker of your son's heart and needs.
one mistake - disdaining

[cartera]

Children will never know the complete story of their parents. As they get older they often struggle against advice that comes from the parents' experience, as parents do not wish them to go exactly where they have been. And yet to some degree they must. I'm trying hard here to review your poem, but find that I cannot even any where near match what you express. And that is the job of the poet, to express what people know and feel in a more intensive way - and only using language. You have done that here. Well done.