You can bet that if a man fails to pay
child support, the judge will take away
future earnings and, regardless
of the reason he cannot pay, will access
fines, fees, interest, license revocation,
and more, which adds consternation,
and doesn’t help to increase his income,
but the courts will show no concern.
The law has no interest in the bond
of father and child or the harm
of a separation; it’s like child abuse.
Judicial ignorance offers no excuse.

But let a mother refuse to allow a child
time with the father, the dad must file
a motion to the court to plead his case
and while he’s waiting, time will waste,
and he will not get to see his kid.
Laws must change. There should be quid
pro quo, because after all, the decree
that orders the man to forfeit his salary
is the same one that spells out when
each parent can see the children.
If all will adhere to the proclamation,
then all will know their expectation.

But how is a judge supposed to decide
to make up for the time that Mum denied?
If she alienated the child at Christmas,
how’s Dad to make up the time he missed?
The child will never have another day like this.
There will never be another December 25th.
Or, suppose it was the child’s 10th birthday;
once that day has passed, it’s gone away.
Do you think you can make up for lost time?
That logic is wrong; get it out of your mind.
The Wisdom of Solomon is what we lack.
When time is gone, we can’t get it back

___

Image courtesy of Adobe.

About the Author: Don Mathis

Don’s life revolves around the many poetry circles in South Texas. His poems have been published in a hundred periodicals and broadcasted on TV and radio. Don has written news and reviews for various media and countless editorials about fatherhood. His political correspondence has prompted personal replies from George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and numerous other lawmakers. Find his work in the Daily Dad, the Good Men Project, and many other publications.

2 Comments

  1. Christine cary June 30, 2024 at 9:11 am - Reply

    Is anyone telling the powers of how unjust the system is to children being denied a father. youth crime is at an all time high. has anyone wondered why. What message does this send to our young women?

  2. Paul June 30, 2024 at 6:56 pm - Reply

    It’s even worse. When the child resents mum for not letting them see Dad, in some preverse way it’s the Dad’s fault and therefore less time for Dad. Which encourages mum’s to withhold children. I feel for all the kids prevented from being with their Dad’s.

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