Poetry

There's too many men

raising up children that belong to other men.

Adoption is one thing, a court ruling is another.

It takes a child away from his birth father.

Sometimes the daddy of the mommy

will have the little baby more often than the daddy.

Wednesdays and weekends are not enough to see him,

not enough to know him, not enough to show him the meaning of his kin.

Or the child's step-father

will have the step-daughter more often than he ought to.

While the natural-born Dad grows bitter and mad

that the little girl he had is living with that man.

And then, there's the 'other.' You know, Mom's new lover.

How I envy his time with that child of mine.

I want all you guys to tell your wives

and the women in your lives what may be a surprise:

There's too many men

raising up children that belong to other men.

Give the kids a break. Don't hesitate.

Give some time to Daddy before it's too late.

A child without a father

is like an otter without water.

To reach their full potential and self-actualize,

Kids need their Daddy and not some nearby guys.

The growth that comes between a father and a son

is a two-way street; It makes a life complete.

No one can love a daughter like a birth father.

It can do no harm to promote that bond.

There's too many men

raising up children that belong to other men.

As a general rule kids are at school

more often than they're in Dad's hands.

Television by the hour have the children in it's power.

Or a drug is the drug of choice rather than a father's voice.

The streets will soon become full of teen-aged boys with guns.

And teen-aged girls with babies will wonder who are their kid's daddies.

It takes more than

courage to raise good men.

How's a girl supposed to know if a boy is good enough

to be a father to her child unless she had one while she was growing up.

A good dad has values that a boy can choose.

A bad role model is difficult to follow. A boy may holler, "I don't want to be like you!"

Either way, that can have their say.

But what kind of influence lies in father-absence?

When father-figures and nearby guys

are all they've known all their lives,

Is the consistency constantly there?

Do the kids know who really cares?

A Daddy does! Not a seed supplier.

A Daddy does! Not a pay provider.

There's too many men

raising up children that belong to other men.

A boy may see his teacher, a scout leader, or a preacher,

more often that he can see his father's family.

This is not right! This is unjust!

Maybe okay for some but not the rest of us.

I want all boyfriends to tell all girlfriends,

and all second husbands to tell all women:

There's too many men

raising up children that belong to other men.

Some women cause such alienation

that America is becoming a father-less nation.

These women will deny that there are fathers that cry

for their children and they, for him.

These women may wish

they need a man like a fish needs a bicycle.

They don't realize the men they criticize

to their children, are essential.

They see nothing bad for a child without a dad.

If Mom's boyfriend at the time is child-friendly, well, that's fine.

But they have yet to discover

what the future will uncover:

There's too many men

raising up children that belong to other men.