my father's phone

my father
misdials his phone which
isn't hard
since he's legally blind.
the irony
does not escape
me.
he's been blind for a very
very long
time even when he could see.
he's surprised when
he hears my voice,
as he's often surprised
when there's a knock
at the door
and it's one of his children
that he admits,
or denies is his.
he's always been on shaky
ground when it comes
to children. he'd rather
be at sea, safe upon
the ocean, but
a child in every port
would not surprise me.