Estranged Son's Heartfelt Poem to His Father
In this spoken‑word monologue, the narrator—a son addressing his estranged father—reflects on the deep sense of abandonment and the yearning for any form of paternal presence, however imperfect. He lists a litany of iconic television fathers—Cliff Huxtable, John Walton Sr., Howard Cunningham, Stephen Keaton, Archie Bunker, Rob Petrie, Bernie Mac, Tony Macelli, Homer Simpson, Fred Sanford, Ward Cleaver, and George Jefferson—questioning whether his father measured himself against these scripted ideals. The speaker rejects the notion that a perfect, media‑crafted father figure is necessary; instead, he expresses a desire for a real, flawed, and present father, lamenting that he never got to know his dad and that the father remains a fantasy. The tone is raw, reflective, and confrontational, underscored by a bittersweet longing and frustration.
