“The Prodigal’s Father” (#18)

Every day, he stood with a sad look in his eyes
As he remembered his younger son, who had come to despise
The blessings of home, and gone far away,
He had been gone for many a day.
The older son took no interest in finding and bringing him back
To their father; if there was anything he did, it was to tack
Away from him-why follow him into that place of sin?
He knew better than to let it suck him in.
Why follow the lost brother? He would only cause harm
To his elder-it was safer right there on the farm.
But when the younger son came back, the father was filled with joy;
He prepared a feast to celebrate the return of his boy.
The older son grumbled “I never went astray,
But Father never treated me this way.”
Then the father said “Son, all I have is your part,
But you never asked what the desire was in my heart.
If you really wanted to please me so,
I would have asked you to go
And seek your lost brother-for whom I also dearly care;
I know everything about him-down to the last hair.
I love you both, neither one of you is best;
I’m just glad to have him back-I feel wonderfully blest.”