Papa Roams, Mama Doesn’t

A father is a father if you’re told he is.

Otherwise how would you know?

Paternity, essential to our genesis,

of course must be presumed: but how

much does it matter who its source is?

No less esteemed a patriarchal clan

than Jews refuse to recognize as Jewish

anyone whose mother wasn’t.

Papa roams, Mama doesn’t.

Fathers are a cipher: not a spiritual stamp.

From points-of-view far too innumerable

to enumerate, dads become de trop:

goods delivered – park the van. Not

that we ought not revere the man – exult

in his carnality! Be deeply glad that dads

get amorous. Their lust accounts for us.

.