Drink Coke Sloppy Joe's - For My Father

You were my inspiration
without you would I know the Rites of Spring?
Your joy in so many things infected my soul.
Playing the 1812 on your new CD player
its the middle of the night
Pat's sleeping and you crank it up
so we can hear the cannons.
Always with a Coke and a Camel,
bottles all over the house.
You were the cool ones, but
but my friends could not believe your home office.
Where was the floor?
Coke bottles, press releases, page proofs and more.
They laughed, they never knew a parent like you.
I saw this title and it brought me back.
Back to you and your childlike enthusiasms.
You could be so playful.
Your toys, but seriously they were for work.
The delight you took in a symphony,
discussing Mozart and his weaving and embroidery.
If not for you where would Kafka and Dostoyevski be?
We parted ways when it came to Camus,
but never parted.
How I miss your joi de vive.
Your love and light.
It makes my heart sing to picture you,
in your room writing in your head
while playing chess with your computer.
Pat complaining you were to messy
you didn't take care of things
I told her you can't change him now.
I know your heart was in the music.
Your mind was in the clouds.
Everyone said you were so handsome.
I saw the beauty in your soul.

© JACM 28 February 2009 

Now I cannot remember where I saw it and my computer closed all my windows. Someone did an article for a recipe Diet Coke Sloppy Joes and I misread it as Drink Coke Sloppy Joes and thought it might be a poem. My dad Joe was a Coca-Cola-holic and he was also, well not to put to fine a point on it, he was sloppy. It used to drive my mom crazy. So this is for you Joe wherever you are.