And this one is about the generations, the relationship
of the generations, Turgenev's Fathers and Sons,
and that great story at the beginning of Gertrude Stein's
Making of America.
Making of Americans where the father and son is dragging
the father by the hair through the family orchard,
and they get so far, and the father cries out,
and he says, "Stop.
This is as far as I dragged my father."
This one is called Step On His Head.
"Let's step on daddy's head shout the children
my dear children as we walk in the country on a sunny summer
day.
My shadow bobs dark on the road as we walk and they
jump on its head and my love of them
fills me all full of soft feelings.
Now I duck with my head so they'll miss when they jump
and they screech with delight.
And I moan, oh you're hurting you're hurting me, stop.
And they jump all the harder and love fills the whole road.
But I see it run on through the years and I know how some day
they must jump when it won't be this shadow, but really
my head--
as I stepped on my own father's head--
it will hurt really hurt and I wonder if then I
will have love enough will I have love enough
when it's not just a game?"