Christal
Cooper
article
w/ excerpts 919 Words
Baby Daddy
Poems by Scott Kaestner
The
Tsunami of Fatherhood
When Scott C. Kaestner and his girlfriend
Jamie Karshen first learned she was pregnant he responded almost immediately by
writing the poem “game changer”,
which is now part of his poetry chapbook collection Baby Daddy Poems by
Wasteland Press.
game changer
my
girlfriend is pregnant, holy shitballs
my…girlfriend…is…
PREGNANT!
can’t
say it’s a surprise, we were trying
there
were afternoon delights and nightcaps
and
nooners and at all hours we were busy getting busy.
yet
I thought many dizzy experiences on my way
would
have prevented this from happening so easily
wrong…apparently
a few swimmers still swimming strong.
now
here we are and literally my life will never be the same
don’t
know what’s going to happen but know
it’ll
never be the same.
i
am inquisitive, ecstatic, in a bit of panic
but
arms open wide in anticipation
and
love plenty.
my
girl and i plus baby makes three
hard
to believe, holy shitballs
I’M
GONNA BE A DADDY!
“game change” from Baby
Daddy Poems
Copyright
granted by Scott C. Kaestner
Kaestner soon thought the process of
becoming a dad for the very first time would be fitting for a chapbook. In Baby Daddy Poems Kaestner writes
poems about experiencing Jamie’s pregnancy, the birth of his daughter, and the
evolution of his baby girl into a two-year-old toddler.
“Baby Daddy Poems were written as
reflections during the process of becoming a father for the first time in my
life. It chronicles, through poetry, the
experiences and emotions I had as I entered the wild, wacky, and blissful world
of fatherhood for the first time.”
Kaestner lives in Los Angeles where he works in
IT handling procurement and asset management at a local non-profit
organization.
Kaestner has published three previous
collections of poetry: Angelend
A Go Go, Stardust & A Soul, and A Life In The Day Of A Poet.
The poems in Baby Daddy Poems were
written in chronological order, as they appear in the book, except for the third
to the last poem, ““That Was Then, This
Is Now.”
“It was written maybe
two weeks before the collection went to my publisher. The poem has a yin/yang
vibe to it and is incredibly reflective of the changes that happen in a life,
my life in this case, when you become a parent and this emotional tsunami runs
through your being. With that said,
there are hints of loss therein and I wanted to end the collection on a
completely sunny sort of way thus the poem found its place in the third to last
spot.”
The most emotional poem to write was “Man At Birth” in which Kaestner describes that moment when his
daughter Kendall came into the world on April 27, 2013.
“I can close my eyes and
go right back to that moment for it left an indelible mark upon me, seeing the
doctor holding Kendall in her gooey newborn glory and hearing him say, “Mr.
Kaestner, meet your daughter.” The sterile smell of the room in the hospital,
that feeling of warmth holding your child for the first time and the subsequent
taste of becoming a parent, I can close my eyes and feel them all, makes the
hair on my arms stand up just thinking about it. The poem itself is the shortest, most succinct
in the collection, because when trying to describe the indescribable, less is
more.”
man at birth
there are no words
to be spoken here
this moment simply
must be felt
with your heart
your soul
feeling like no other
casts no shadow
sheer, pure
bliss
speechless witness
the miracle
“man at birth” from Baby Daddy Poems
Copyright granted by
Scott C Kaestner
In the beginning of Baby Daddy Poems Kaestner
quotes William Wordsworth: “The child is father of the man.” This quote applies to Kaestner both as a
father and as a poet.
“I love this quote and
always a fan of layered brevity when it comes to writing. What I interpret it
to mean is that in the process of becoming a father you learn the nuanced art
of selflessness and therein realize your child is leading you into a whole new
realm of existence and in many ways is now in control of you.”
“I think having a child
opens up a whole new world in terms of sensitivity as a human being and a
poet. That moment you welcome your
child into the world and meet the person you’d give up your own life in the
blink of an eye (which) introduces sensibilities previously unknown. As an
artist and poet, all that feeling becomes a deep well from which to draw your
art.”
Becoming a father has been like that of a
journeyman on the ocean side, walking footstep after footstep: the first step is The Awakening, the second step The
Responsibility; and the third step is The
Moment Lived.
“After that (The
Awakening and The Responsibility) sets in and is tangibly felt, it’s all being
in the moment with your child as a nurturer, a role model, as an ally, a
teacher, a trusted partner in good times and bad, through thick and thin, and
in spirit eternally."
Photograph Description & Copyright Info
Photo 1
Scott Kaestner and daughter Kendall
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 2
Scott Kaestner with his girlfriend Jamie
Karshen during the pregnancy
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 3
Jacket cover of Baby Daddy Poems
Photo 4
Web logo for www.wastelandpress.net
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright
Law
Photo 5a
newborn photo of Kendall
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 5b
Kendall on her 2nd birthday
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 6
Scott Kaestner, Jamie Karshen, and Kendall
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 7a
Jacket cover of Angelend A Go Go
Photo 7b
Jacket cover of Stardust & A Soul
Photo 7c
Jacket cover of In The Day Of A Poet
Photo 8
Scott Kaestner, Kendall, and Jamie Karshen
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 9
The moment after Kendall was born
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
Photo 1l
Jacket cover of Baby Daddy Poems
Photo 12
William Wordsworth
Oil on canvas
Attributed to Benjamin Robert Haydon in
1842
Public Domain
Photo 13
Father and his daughter
Painting attributed to Norman Rockwell
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright
Law
Photo 14
"Poet" sign from Scott K Kaestner's Facebook
page
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright
Law
Photo 15
Scott Keastner in the background watching his
daughter
Kendall run on the beach.
Copyright granted by Scott Kaestner
nice blog and information is great also read Happy Fathers Day Quotes Sayings
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