Philip Larkin - This Be The Verse

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.

Yes, we're fucked-up, and yes our parents had a lot to do with it, as did all the parents before them.

Nevertheless life is worthwhile. It doesn't follow that since we will likely fuck-up our offspring that therefore we shouldn't have any.

Fucked-up or not, life is still a joy.

Human

But it isn't my family. In spite of my 30 Mormon years, my kids turned out OK. My four children have done alright for themselves. Sure, they've had problems just like anyone else but, all things considered, they're getting along just fine. The proof is my six grandchildren who are growing up more well-adjusted than either their parents or grandparents could have imagined.

And I did better for my children than my father did for me.

Yeah, we had issues and ups and downs and successes and failures. I wouldn't trade my children for anything.

Sorry your life has been so horrible as to inspire such a sad verse. I hope it gets better for you.

Haha. One of my favorite poems. I have my students read it, off campus, of course (I'm along the Morridor).