. . . son shares his dream of delivering my eulogy at St. Phillip's Church . . . just like you did for grandpa . . . "How does that make you feel?" . . . couldn't answer adequately . . . a while later a line from the past echoes: 'the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers' . . .

lines may 1st 1966

(from the sorrowful canadians - wilfred watson)

the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
MY BROTHERS AND I DECIDED ON A SUMMARY EXECUTION
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE MADE EXCUSES FOR HIS AMIABLE FOLLIES, ESPECIALLY
A VAIN WISH TO SPARE US SUFFERINGS, DEPREVATIONS,
BOREDOMS WHICH HAD STUNG HIM TO THE TEETH
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
OUR HEADS WERE NOT YET GREY, HIS HEAD WAS NOT YET
WHITE
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
BUT WE DECIDED IN THE HEAT OF MIDSUMMER OUR WRONGS
HAD LASTED TOO LONG.
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE ACCUSED OUR FATHER OF BEING PARTY TO OUR RAPES
AND OF CONDONING OUR LECHEROUS INSTINCTS
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
THE SMILES WITH WHICH HE GREETED THIS INFURIATED
US
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE ACCUSED OUT FATHER OF TEACHING US TO BE MURDERERS

2
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
AS EVIDENCE THERE WERE TOY PISTOLS, BURNED OUT FIRE
CRACKERS, TWENTY-TWO RIFLES,A CHEAP SHOT-GUN, FISHING
EQUIPMENT, A GLOVE FOR KILLING MINK WITHOUT DAMAGING
THE PELTS, A TRAP FOR EARWIGS (HOME-MADE), A BROKEN
KILLER CANE FOR KILLING DANDELIONS, A USED INSECTICIDE
BOMB WE HAD AIMED AT A WASP NEST IN A DISUSED GARBAGE
TIN, AND VARIOUS PIECES OF LIKE EVIDENCE.
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE ACCUSED OUR FATHER OF TEACHING US AN OBSCENE LOVE
FOR THE CREATURE MONEY
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE GENEROUSLY GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO DEFEND HIMSELF.
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
MY FATHER, REPLIED OUR FATHER, WAS LECHEROUS, MURDEROUS
AND FULL OF LOVE FOR THE CREATURE MONEY.
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE REFUSED THE EXCUSE
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
WE ERECTED A SCAFFOLD.
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.

3
WE MADE THE EXECUTION AS CRUEL AS POSSIBLE, SO
OUR SONS SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BLAME US IN THIS
KIND.
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers.
AS HE DIED, HE CRIED OUT, MY FATHER WAS OEDIPUS
the sins of the fathers forgive the grandfathers
IT WAS A FLAGRANT DEATH, AND THE TEARS WE COULD
NOT EASILY SUPPRESS COMPROMISED OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS
THE SINS OF THE FATHERS EXCUSE THE GRANDFATHERS