If my boy then knew what his Dad knows now. But I don’t blame B. Especially this week. There is always so much noise. The Day Job, the snoring of Braxton’s little doggy bro. And is that the damn phone? And now Braxton’s silence. B’s Last Bark Virgil.
Monday, January 26, 2026
Journey 209 ~B’s Last Bark Virgil~
Hey Dad,
It’s Me, Baby B… Did you have a good day? How many times have you cried today? Three? A coincidence? Does it matter?
“What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?”
Adam Ewing, David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas
Not enough ocean to drown in. Not enough to sail to come and “Find Me.” Nowhere near enough to cleanse everything. New beginning? M Anime, Virgil. Man In The Mirror?
Daddy. My father. You haven’t heard the last of me. My name? Braxton BARKS Bradford.
It’s all you can hear right now, but what am I saying? “Every Breath You Take.” Every beat of your heart. But you know what I really miss? Well, I am my father’s son. Always.
The noise, the silence, and everything in between those two ears of yours. Daddy’s brain.
“Pinch me, pinch me
‘Cause I’m still asleep
Please, God, tell me
That I’m still asleep.”
Barenaked Ladies ‧ 2000
I hope you don’t mind me saying this. Actually, it’s Forrest Gump anyway. Dear Daddy:
“I’m not a smart man… but I know what love is.”
Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump
Again, I am my father’s son, and you’re better than this. Don’t think you are…
Know. No? Not this week anyway. Couldn’t you pick the day I ate your French Toast or Waffles? And the day after, when you protected your pancakes. And I got my nickname. “I love you like pancakes,” you would say, “but you have to calm down.” How about the day I jumped into that rolling thing of yours? I wasn’t the only one who hated that. And I can understand why you were always so angry when you came back from “Wherever You Will Go.” But I didn’t know what I was supposed to bark at. So there was silence.
Dad, I would watch you sleep and make sure whatever was chasing you stayed away.
Only I don’t know what that is now, or rather…
She walked, ran, or got effed five months down the road. I know, Dad, Language! You’ve told me I would have liked her, but I’m not sure. Virgil is trying his best. But M Anime, my potential stepmom, you called her. That’s when you began to feel love once more.
That bitch! Again, I’m minding my barks. But she got you “Smokin Out The Window.” And you wouldn’t call her such-and-such. But another reason I’m mad is this. What happens when you get hurt, Dad? You told my Favorite Girl that you can’t imagine any worse pain than yours truly. And so I need to bark loud enough to overcome the boohoo’s, the bawling, and be your boy, always. Woof, woof! B’s Last Bark Virgil
“Your pets want to help you heal. They want to communicate with you. All you need to do is listen.”
― Yes, Pets Do Go To Heaven!
By Sophia Grace
“Arma Virumque Cano”
(I sing of arms and the man.)
(Book I, opening line) Aeneid
1821 Days Without B III, Day 1262 of Virgil’s Arrival
Always and Forever,
Your Son
