Oscar’s birthday poem, 2012

. . .

And across the ocean a storm.

Will take a cursory glance
At these words,
Raise an eyebrow, cough, and move on,
And squirrel away my emotions
Somewhere out of sight and memory
Until an accident uncovers their dust.

So above it all,
Intellectually immortal
And unbeatable, and
I pray it will always be so.

And inferior and boring,
A collaborator with the system
You despise.
Maybe that’s what we all become
– No excuses – when we age.
I hope you don’t.
I know you won’t.
 
But care.