Model Ship —2023
The model ship sits on its wooden stand
Constructed by the father’s steady hand
On the shelf
Gathering dust
Sailing nowhere
And when the model ship was broken
The father would fix it
He would always start over
He would always build again
The model son sits at his writing desk
Posing questions he could never ask
Looking up
At the ship
Sailing nowhere
And if the model son was broken
The father couldn’t fix him
No, he could never start over
He could never build again
The model father has fallen to the floor
Facing down, wanting more
Reaching out
Looking lost
Letting go
And if the model ship was real
Would we have sailed around the world,
Having real conversations,
A real father and a real son?
-music & lyrics by Robert Maggio