Posted by: KenP in trust, society, social capital, shutting down, Men, Masculinity, Isolation, fear, costs, battle of the sexes on May 29, 2008  

   We still have such deeply held prejudice against men as fathers in our culture that our court systems, in every state, favor the custody of the children go to the mother. There may be a huge collection of evidence that the father would be the best parent to raise the child, and even that the mother is NOT, but this bias is so strong and pervasive that the courts routinely send the kids home with mom after a divorce...even if she is an alcoholic and/or addict!

   As a father who had to watch this process from the inside, I went home after one of those "you get the kids" weekends and wrote this song in an attempt to express my feelings. Notice that the entire song consists of one platitude after another. There are reasons for this. We men, when we are faced with expressing emotion one-on one, resort to tried and true phrases because...well, we just aren't so good at that whole emotion-expressing business. 

     As always, enjoy my song as a poem until we are technically able to imbed a digital audio file in our posts.

See Ya Next Time.

                                                  Copyright 1991 by Ken P.

See 'Ya Next Time,

Try to be good guys.

See 'Ya Next Time.

Do your home-work, be nice.

We had a good time.

I'm glad your Ma-Ma's new friend

Is al-right.

Hug me now good-night.

See 'Ya Next Time.

Man this yard's gone bad.

See 'Ya Next Time.

How can a drive-way look sad?

Some-time with 'ol Dad,

I know there's not a-lot to do.

Next time we'll try

To do the zoo.

Mo-ney just ain't right now,

You guys understand.

We don't need a-lot

To have fun.

I just want to see you,

Ev-ry time I caaaan.

'Cause in my book

You're still number one!

(A, num-ber one)

(Musical Interlude)

See 'Ya Next Time,

Help your Mom get by.

See' Ya Next Time.

Blow your nose, hey don't cry.

It's just a hard time.

We got 'ta give it our best shot.

I'm still your Dad,

No mat-ter what.

(No matter what)

See 'ya.

See 'ya.

See 'Ya Next Time.