Dear Friends,

Please keep these dates and program in mind. It is about the interconnections between fathers and sons, as well as an exploration that leads to intergenerational understanding. On top of this, my dad will be turning 90 years old this month. He still has plenty of “hop” on his fastball. Hopefully you will learn a little history and something about the events that shape our lives. You might also gain insight into how we engage life as an art form itself. 

I have included a poem, The Boy, which will serve as a trailer for an event that includes poetry (mine), artwork (Dad’s), and a wonderful discussion about two individuals whose experiences are both different yet the same. It should be a wonderful program: Wednesday, Nov. 10, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall. 

The Boy

A young boy on a rainy day
Sloshed in puddles by the street
Eating his favorite popsicle
And splashing with joyful feet.

The steady rain kept pouring
Creating a river “long” the way
He finished the tasty delicacy
Leaving a stick behind to play.

Never before has such a boat
Adorned the oceans blue
The mighty little popsicle stick
Driven by imagination’s crew.

Down the raging river
Stopped by twigs and stones
Only to get a gentle nudge
From “Captain All Alone.”

Braving the rushing waters
The boy captain and his friend
Lived a high adventure
To the street’s very end.

I often think of that gentle boy
Walking in the rain
Did he grow into a man
And carry ages pain?

I wonder if he’d ever try
When the sky turns gray
To grab his tasty popsicle
And go outside to play.

See you soon. Regards,

Bob

Bob Houghtaling is the director of the East Greenwich Drug Program, a mental health counselor, a poet and a son.