Review: “Ode to Fathers” by Rudolph Ruddapoet

Clearly this poem is an “ode to fathers who never showed their sons the end of their rainbows/ those fathers whop li, those who never try, those who always defile, those whose roots are buried in rum.”

The poem is dedicated to all “fathers” who have done good and who have done bad, and who still keep being ugly despite of having this beauty called life.

For the may times they failed to be there, and the many times they did wrong to their kids… This metaphor is a whip that we hope would leave a mark.

The poet reproaches all those men who defile minors, those who batter their wives after drinking themselves to stupor.

There are those whose “penance are so penal,” portraying their phallic relationships with their offspring. Including those who take pleasure in visiting every cervix, of their daughters and sons.

These are not the kinds of fathers we are expected to model ourselves after. Ruddapoet in this metaphorical burlesque admonishes every man to be like a father who is “as wise as time and as old and night.” Fathers who’d teach you to “tickle the ground for food and make windows of allusions but be careful with the curtains of imagery, for light has its way around each night.”

The poet explains the many things a father, like his own father should do. They should wake up with the sun’s rays and tell lullabies” to their kids. They should “teach them of love, of water and crocodile…because love is indescribable” And as they begin to understand the essence of life they should be wary of becoming crocodiles gifted with such complicated heart.

The para-liturgical sound is of vierge pure (agni parthene) translated to mean “O Virgin Pure” or “O Pure Virgin”, a 19th century Greek Marian hymn. One wouldn’t expect that this hymn which focuses on the virgin Mary is appropriate to portray the preoccupations of this ode.

Leonell