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1. Despedida

The deconstruction of 
a wild family
Capricious and crusted with age 
These unfamiliar crimes 
Chime with every scrunch 
of the body 
My daddy is dying
No flowery words of comfort
Will dull that pain
Let this be a lesson to you
Be afraid, hide away and say goodbye
A bittersweet farewell – despedida 
Carve the canyons in the shape of a heart
Belabored echoes of laughter and fear 
They'll not remember you
But we will, and 
That's all we can do
We'll remember you
Your genetic stewards 
Of an unwritten future.

2. These Burdens Carry You

All I wish for you is the grace
To recognize and accept 
The earthquake faults 
Where you hide your guilt
The cross that splintered 
The tanned skin
Of His only son
I would wrap your sadness
That repeating letter of record
Into bundles 
And give them 
to a hobo of olden days
Alight on a train
I would buy you a new life
A rugged life by definition
The hardships of the past
Folded into my prayerful hands
Simply looking for a chance
To survive
Let me take your sadness
Into me so that 
you can find joy
The hardened shell 
Grows over the memory
Of your father
In your veins.

3. fathers & daughters

I had something clever here 
About how I was a lot like him
About how he couldn't sit still 
And then I had something insightful here
About our lack of emotional connection
About how we spoke to each other
Through music 
But I removed them in revision
A generational curse, that foul thing 
that clings so closely
To the memory
Of a man 
That I never really knew
But I see his smile
In the mirror 
When I bare 
my crooked teeth
At the glamorous monster
That looks back
At me.

Bonus content: Blooper reel

No spoilers, but I ended up with a blooper reel for "These Burdens Carry You." Enjoy!

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