Fathers Day Gift Poem

by Jenn
(Savannah, GA, USA)

My Dad is a great fan of John Wayne, owns every movie and seen them all a hundred times. At the time, we lived on the Mexican border and I regularly went over the border with friends to check out the shopping.

 

We used to go to the open marketplace which was like a giant indoor flea market. The year I "gave my Dad John Wayne" ... kind of, I was on the lookout for a Fathers Day gift (but, not extremely flush with money). I was looking to find something that he would at least enjoy and not stick back in a drawer.

With three kids and (at the time) seven grandkids, he had quite a collection of wallets, belts, and lighters. So, I was staying clear of the leather stalls and trying to find something a little more unique, when I came to a stall selling busts of famous people.

Mind you, the lighting in this marketplace is minimal so you can't really see all the detail of the busts but you could see who they were. I'm looking these over trying to decide if he REALLY liked Elvis enough to have a bust of him, when I looked into the corner and saw the top of a cowboy hat.

Going closer to examine it, I recognized the face of John Wayne, now we aren't talking great likeness here, but you could see that it was John Wayne. After haggling over the price I got the man in the stall to wrap it up for me a bit and I took it to the car.

I didn't bother to unwrap it, just handed it to my Dad the next morning. He ripped it open and his eyes got a little wide. Finally he thanked me and said how nice it was. Taking a good look at it, it was recognizable as John Wayne if John Wayne were a Mexican with a cowboy hat on.

It got relegated to the front porch where it remains a great conversation starter.

Fathers Day Gifts

Fathers never quite get what they deserve.
But, hey accept one more wallet with great verve.

They swear that a brand new tie is just what they need.
Oh goody, another yard tool for when they go weed.

They get a new hammer, a new book, a new saw.
They know you tried hard, but look on the gifts with awe.

All they really want is some time in the sun,
playing some golf, maybe fishing, having some fun.

But it doesn't matter as long as its from you.
Anything you give him will be special and new.