He Is The Father

He is not the father if all he offers
is the seed to spawn a child
the bloodline of his father and the father
before him may ooze in his genetic plasma

but that does not make him a father except
in a biological sense. If he doesn’t parent
that fact that his features
are the same is irrelevant

he is not the father if he is not around
to protect his progeny, to provide and promote
values so his child can grow to adulthood
to be productive and perhaps be a better parent

he is not the father if he loses himself in alcohol,
drugs, or gambling habits, so preoccupied
with his own desires he doesn’t
have the capacity to love another

he is not the father if he is not around,
too occupied with accumulating wealth
he doesn’t realize time and relationship
are the treasures most valued by a child

he is not the father even if he is married
to the mother but doesn’t offer emotional ties
and creates pressure and unneeded stress
demanding perfection with unreasonable requests.

He is the father if his child
recognizes him as such,
and the rest doesn’t matter much.