Terry dear, my wise old Rabbit,
Self-contained creature of habit,
You saw me sagely through
A disaster or two
With common-sense advice
Delivered in concise
Well-chosen words.
With both feet on the ground, Pragmatic yet profound,
Your conscience as your guide, You took life in your stride.
No big ups or downs for you, Just some laughs, a tear or two, As on through life you’d stroll, Healthy, active, whole.
You were strong for sibling John. How I depended on
Your love and care, your being there When John would turn to you.
What went wrong, my droll, sage son? Did you tire of being strong?
Why is it that you’ve gone?
Please come back again.
Give me some chance to explain Things I’ve never told you. My secrets recoiled sadly
When your spiteful father gladly Embellished scanty fact
With lies that truly lacked
Vestige of honour for the mother Of his sons.
He abandoned you and John
When you were both too young
To remember.
I had the noble notion
That I had obligation
To concoct a father figure as your guide, One you’d look up to with pride. I turned for practical support To a dear man who I thought Was prepared to take his place – A man of noble grace.
Circumstance aside,
Your father’s jealous pride Would not allow his wife To live a happy life.
He threatened the career Of the lover I held dear, And I lost him.
Once you had turned eighteen, Old enough, he set the scene. By then he was more settled, Found himself, and was ashamed Of the immoral and untamed, Faithless husband, wanton parent That he’d been.
He portrayed the loving father I’d concocted before, rather Than have you know the truth; And to complement the portrait, Ergo was forced to remake Me into a wanton, faithless wife.
Was your rejection based on lies? Was it very wise
To hear one side and not the other, To reject a silent mother,
And believe your father’s slander?
Or is the burning issue,
Not my life, but yours, that ails you? Do you fear I might reject you
For some secret I’d object to?
Try me, dearest Rabbit.
You’d lose nothing by confiding
The secret that you’re hiding.
I’d accept you son, no matter
What you’ve become, or rather,
Who-ever you’ve discovered that you are.
Darling Rabbit, ever mine, In my heart I feel it’s time We reconciled. I pray you see
These lines and come to me.
Come and let me set
The record straight, forgive, forget. Let me see your winsome face,
Once more observe the agile grace
With which you always strode through life, Through pleasure and through strife. Are you still like that, my son,
Or has your sunny nature gone?
May my pleading reach you.
May my sad words teach you
That secrets only drive people apart. Come to my heart.