My Truth

Tate and I

This the question of existence

to be a good soul all my days

I find the problem in my years

setting example by my ways

------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I have tried to reconcile

with the conscience that rules my soul

I always find I come up short

never quite reaching that fine goal

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I was young I ruled the waves

holding sway in every court

I did as my heart commanded

as if life were a game of sport

------------------------------------------------------------------------

But now that I am not alone

I find myself caring much more

How my character is perceived

and what I hide behind each door

------------------------------------------------------------------------

So now I have committed to

repairing the mistakes and flaws

Fixing all the things that went wrong

when I did not follow the laws

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I pray that I be successful

in changing my bad ways to good

To give my child a fighting chance

just as every father should

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

If only I could travel back

to correct the sins of my youth

I could tell him to be like me

knowing I was telling the truth

------------------------------------------------------------------------

$12.50

To see my books click on the pictures to take you to them

$12.50

$12.50

Author's Note

It hurts my soul to even think of some of the foolish misguided passions and mistakes my life once fed. Don't we all wonder what if? I suppose we all would like to be forgiven for the transgressions of our youth. If we could who among us would not go back and repair the damage we have wreaked? Every time I have been upset with my son. I think back to the wasteland that my youth devastated. I find it easy to forgive his little transgressions.
I'm proud to say my son is a better man than me. And my wife a better woman than I deserve. But I shall stay with her so long as she will have me and count my never ending blessings.

Reviews

[Christina May Shanaberg]

Your writing, lately, says that you are becoming a better man than you believed that you could be. You have opened the shades, taken the shades from your eyes; you are seeing life living, maybe, for the very first time. Your observations are filled with beauty. You have come full circle. You are blessed and are, finally, humble enough to recieve the blessing. I love your recent writes, because you are so alive, finally. No more searching, but knowing. You are a very talented man and, now, you know just how gifted you are to be able to express your feelings to the world. Your son is lucky to have you, as you are now; yesterday is dead and gone. Tomorrow lives on. I loved this! Perfect!!

[roarke]

another amen from the congregation.... if ya see a decent toyota tacoma, 6cyl, 4x4 under 100k, late nineties to '04.... under 10k... let me know...lol.

[R J Askew]

Mate, you are my hero.

You think and feel and say things that EVERY FATHER should be able to feel and express, but not all can. You have the strength to admit and examine you past errors, whatever they might have been. And you are seem to live by your principles. You feel things keenly and have an acute sense of the father son bond.

There are many prose books written about good parenting. But I think you nail things down much more succinctly. I sometimes feel that being a poet and the word poetry feels a bit soppy. But you, with your emotional directness, make it feel OK for a bloke to be fooling around with words and emotions.

I sometimes wonder how your lad will view your poetry in later life. I don't know if he ever sees any of it yet. Perhaps he is too young, or perhaps it is far too personal to show to him. But I can't help but think that when he is maybe 30-35 and maybe a dad himself, with luck, that he will dig it all.

I also think that your poetry cld be presneted as a collection specifically for fathers. I think many men who have difficult facing or expressing the feelings that are the hallmark of your writing wld quitely be very moved by some of the things you write ... and might just be the batter fathers for it.

How about this for a possible future title... SONS AND FATHERS. I know you have already got your ISBN numbers for your projects but maybe SONS AND FATHERS, or some such title, wld win you a much bigger audience.

[EMF]

Never a great one for reflection (The past can be a dangerous place to visit), I thoroughly enjoyed the poem. It has a depth and flow to it that is how poetry should work. It hits so many points that spark of ideas left right and centre. A poem well worth returning to. Not one you can take in fully at first, or even third read.

[.]

That is so enchanting..catches the mindset of us all ...as we grow into adults and our ideals and principles change as we learn what life is really about..if you could change things though Tate, you wouldn't be the man you are..the paths we take are the things that mould us into the people we become without the mistakes how could you see where you went wrong or how to put it right..we must guide our children, but let them make those mistakes and enjoy making them :)

[Muse]

I think our fallible nature needs to be looked at with great sensitivity. We cannot grow, or become a wise adult without making many mistakes. It's how we learn to overcome them, that allows us to become "teachers" and good parents. We cannot "teach" without some sort of experience my friend. Experience comes from being there, making those mistakes, and overcoming them. Yes we will have guilt, but it's the guilt that reminds us to try to be better.

[Enigma]

In absolute awe of your rhymes and philosophy. Life is always a bundle of mistakes owing to all those tiny little or maybe glaring large flaws we all have. But it will be better if we start rwalizing it when treating anyone else. BEing on the equal level, its pretty easy to forgive and forget than to relive the pain, react and then regret.
Amazing poetry. :)

[Branch Isole]

This piece describes most adequately life's normality many experience.

[Coyote Poetry]

The what if's keep us guessing. I believe a young person should buy their own car. Taught me responsibility and the cost. Today is a different world. When we were young. A lot of jobs and our world was a open door. Kids today need education and good luck. All my kids are home with their kids. I know they are safe and have food and a place to rest. Becky is a good lady. Thank you for the good music and excellent poetry.
' Coyote

[SarahRose]

Having raised two sons I felt every word you said. Now they are grown. I read this piece three times and connected to the words, especially the words "Give them a fighting chance". My parents didn't and I promised I would give them that chance. I am writing a book right now and one of the chapters is called "They Are Not Yours". I speak about how our children are only given to us for a season. We get to borrow them from God and then release them. We have one chance................to give them the fighting chance. It is an honor to be parent and we should remember that. Awsome work and very true.

[Shae]

Of coarse, we all have our "what if's" but where does it really get us? Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not wrong. It's normal, but if we always think "well, if only I had done this" or "If only I could change this" then where are we gonna get in life?
I love the poem. It's great, and I think it's funny how he got offended by you offering to buy him a car. I would have taken my dad's offer in a blink of an eye.
But just some food for that, what if no one had what if's?