playtime sermon

by Jackson Warfield

back when I was a little man
I’d sit on the floor in the kitchen
and play with my toys

around two in the afternoon
before heading off to work
my father would walk in

dump a spoonful of instant coffee
into a cup of cold water
mix it around a minute
slug it back and return the cup
to the counter

then he’d look over at me
stare a moment
and say, “Jack, you should learn
to enjoy suffering
because that’s all there is
in this world.”