I've got the gloves on with my kids
4 and 5 years old
and god I remember doing it with my old man
living room boxing
same age
leather and a bit of sweat
smacking gently and watching the moves
trying to teach a little
hard not to push
I come to understand a little of my old man
I try to teach different than I learned
showing
wanting to correct
but knowing that it's for fun
really this time
really this time
really for fun this time
not just words
and we laugh
it doesn't hurt yet
maybe it never will
doesn't hurt them anyway
but I feel it in the guts
he's missing it
god, he'da loved this
he went a few rounds with them before he died at least
they played
he remembered doing it with me
the same
the same words, sounds,grunts
I watched
hearing the words again
hearing the mantra
the language I learned
taught to mine
they heard those words first from him
thank god