i understand now
what mark twain said about
his old man – some things you
just can't know about until you're
ready

that's what piaget said and
i'm sure the same principle applies to differential equations
and magic for sparking roaring fires in torrential sleet
and deciding it's probably a good idea to know a few jiu-jitsu
moves just in case and 

by the way, you can be as effeminate as you please
so long as the other guys always suspect the price
of your ass just might be considerably more than they're
willing to pay

wado, you mountain man, you bane of ruminants and pisceans and fowl,
who strolled the hills with us like home, and weathered arctic snow
as a sherpa might on everest, and charged headlong into the cold rapids,
and repelled like one movement down the rock face to pass the pipe, wado

wado, you warrior who smiled at the boy who clung to momma's skirt
and listened to radio mysteries and read god knows what
while grasshopper beat up the bad guys and the other kids were doing
what other kids do

wado, you singer of ancient songs, aho
for your mistakes, you are forgiven
(may i make so few)

may we never forget those times when, because you wanted
to reward us for a job well-done, or give us time to reflect
on our mistakes, or sometimes just for the hell of it and you
wanted to spend some time with your sons, you awakened us
at 4 am to ask if we had a test at school today
"No? Then get your pole – we're goin fishin!
Don't worry, I'll write a note."

wado, you archer, you huntsman, you woodsman,
you crafter of knifes and character, wado

i remember thinking how ignorant you must be to interrupt
my evening with Cyrano for no other reason than to go for
a hike in the woods or clean a dead duck or fix an engine.
how could i know then i would come to rue my refusal?
how can any of us know the lesson before the page is written?
there is life in great words, but a great life is more than words.

wado, you redneck, you hillbilly, you sylvan philosopher,
wado, you archetype of self-reliance and example, wado

one day i will share the pipe with my children.
like black and white sheep, we will gather with the rest of the clan
and pass the smoky baton to them and their cousins
and your breath will pass to them as it has to us.
wado