Saturday, December 30, 2006

For Dockery a son

These past six months have been remarkable time: a new life on its way with all the attendant scarily high stakes and worries. And optimism - that cannot be denied. For a long time I shared Larkin's mock mock-distant attitude with the innermost feeling being pure relief at not having that harsh patronage. Of course it is always hard to tell with Larkin what would be that innermost feeling, probably as contradictory, as poised, as the poems (at heart) were. 

Of myself I can be sure - we do change, I have changed. Matured, yes, but there are many ways to maturity, procreation surely not the most significant of them. In this particular case, within this particular context, a new life does make sense, is fitting, despite all the attendant high stakes and worries. This no doubt is how we all arrive in the world: into other contexts, other constellations - hopefully welcome, hopefully loved. In these respects at least our new family member should not worry.

5 comments:

Giustino said...

when are you expecting the little põder?

stockholm slender said...

Hmm... Only 50% will be reindeer - mid-March is the calculated time. Strangely nice feeling!

Giustino said...

Oh, I see - one half põder, one half pakapikk. Having babies is great. We are expecting our second around July 28.

I've tried to find the Estonian "national" name but it's hard. Finns are all "Pekka", but what are Estonians? "Endel"? "Tiit"? There's too many good options.

stockholm slender said...

I certainly hope it will turn out to be fun! I often say Ants if I don't remember the name (safely, in conversation with my wife) - just because it's sounds so funny to my Finnish ears...

Giustino said...

My wife says the Estonian national name is "Juku"